Story Of Us
by striker
Summary: Chris and Jill are having a romantic dinner alone. With nothing else to do they discuss their relationship, starting from them being partners on the S.T.A.R.S. to the present.
1. First Met

            Disclaimer: Resident Evil is property of Capcom. This story is my property.

            Side Notes: This story takes place several years after Umbrella's fall. Dates in reference to the RE timeline are guessed on. Background information for main characters is a cross between the games and the S. D. Perry novels.

Story Of Us 

By: Striker

Chapter 1- First Met

Present

A couple sat across from each other at round table in a small dining room. The lights were turned off, the only light coming from several candles placed throughout the room. On the table were several plates filled with food. Two candles sat in the center, casting a romantic glow on the faces of the couple. Soft music played on a near-by stereo. An open bottle of champagne sat in a bucket of ice. The woman reached for her champagne glass and took it. The light from the candle twinkled off of a diamond wedding ring on her hand. She brought the glass to her lips and took a sip. The man played with his fork and stared at his wife, his wedding band shining in the candlelight.

The woman set down her glass. "Are you going to stare at me all night?"

The man chuckled. "Sorry Jill. I just can't help but notice how beautiful you look in the candlelight."

"You look pretty handsome yourself Chris." Jill replied. "Too bad we can't do this more often. Every other time we try either Claire, Barry, or someone else comes knocking on our door."

"Correction." Chris said. "The others knock, my sister comes barging in like it's her house. There's nothing like someone walking in on a romantic dinner to spoil the mood."

Jill glanced towards the front door. "I hope no one decides to pay us a visit tonight."

"They won't." Chris said, taking a bite of steak.

"How can you be so sure?" Jill asked.

"Because I warned them that if they did it would be the last thing they ever did." Chris replied.

Jill giggled. "I wish I could have seen their faces."

"Well, they did kind of know that tonight was special." Chris said. "Everyone, especially Claire, promised to leave us alone."

"You know, sometimes I find it hard to believe that it's been so long since we've known each other." Jill said.

"We've been through a lot together." Chris said. "Remember when we first met in Raccoon City?"

Jill smiled. "How could I forget? It was one of the most awkward days of my life."

Chris nodded. "Mine too. It was funny though."

"I hardly count what you did funny." Jill said.

"But you still remember?" Chris asked.

"Of coarse." Jill replied. "I remember it like it was yesterday. It all started…"

  
Raccoon City. June 18, 1997.

Jill sat at a booth in a small café. Her two friends, Tracy and Valerie, sat across from her. The three women were in their uniforms having lunch. They had eaten here for the last couple of months. At this moment Valerie was busy talking about a recent case.

"I heard they finally found the guy who was stealing those cars." Valerie said. "Turns out he was a seventeen year old boy. Kid said he was doing it for fun."

"So, I was breaking into cars when I was fourteen." Jill said. "It isn't that hard. All you need is one of those wire coat hangers."

Tracy chuckled. "I bet you did, with the upbringing you had."

"That's why I'm here." Jill said. "Like my father told me, either become a police officer or go to jail."

Valerie took a sip of her soda. "So when was the last time you spoke to your father?"

"Last month." Jill replied. "I still can't believe Dick's in prison."

"Why do you call your father by his first name?" Tracy asked. "It's not natural."

"We kind of had a falling out after he was arrested." Jill said.

Tracy sighed. "I would too if my dad got busted for grand larceny."

Valerie decided to change the subject. "So, did you see Eric today? I just died when he winked at me."

"So," Tracy said, "I was by the soda machine one the first floor and Eric bought me a Coke."

"You're so lucky." Valerie said. "What do you think about Eric Jill?"

Jill put up her hands. "Sorry girls, I have too much work to do instead of looking at boys."

"I bet." Tracy said. "I heard Captain Wesker is a real slave driver."

"You have no idea." Jill said.

Just then Valerie noticed a young man walk into the café and take a seat at the bar. "Check out that guy. He's cute."

Tracy checked the guy out. "I don't think I've seen him before. Maybe he just moved here?" The women watched as the guy looked around the café. Tracy almost fainted when he looked over at her table and smiled. "He's looking at us."

"Settle down girl." Jill said. "He'll think you're nuts."

"Hey Jill." Valerie said. "I dare you to go talk to him."

Jill shook her head. "No thanks. I don't like to hit on strangers."

"Are you chicken?" Tracy asked.

"No." Jill replied.

Tracy pointed at the guy. "Then go talk to him."

Valerie giggled. "Yeah Jill, you might get lucky."

Jill stood up. "Fine, I'll do it." Jill walked over to the man and sat down next to him. "Hey, how are you?"

The guy turned to Jill. "Fine I guess."

Jill was taken by the man's black hair and blue eyes. "So, my friends and I saw you come in. Are you new here?"

"I just moved here a few days ago." The man replied. "Hey, you three work at the police station, right?"

"Ah, yeah." Jill said. "How did you know?"

"Your uniforms." The man replied. "I couldn't help but notice that your uniform is different."

"That's because I'm part of the Special Tactics and Rescue Squad." Jill said. "We're a special branch of the RPD."

The man nodded. "I see. So what's your name?"

"Jill." Jill said. She looked over at her friends, who were giggling like crazy. "What's yours?"

"Chris." The man said.

"Well Chris, welcome to the neighborhood." Jill said. Suddenly her beeper went off. "Oh shit, I have to get back to work soon. Maybe I'll see you some other time."

"Maybe." Chris said. He watched as Jill went back to her friends. The women paid their bill and left. "Maybe sooner than you think." Chris said to himself, a smirk on his face.

"So, what did you think of him?" Valerie asked.

"He's nice." Jill replied.

"I think you're in love." Tracy said mockingly.

Jill smacked Tracy's arm. "I am not. I just think he's nice."

The S.T.A.R.S. were assembled in the meeting room on the first floor. Wesker stood behind the podium talking to Barry, who was standing next to him. The others were scattered around the room. Richard studied some of the flyers stuck to the bulletin board. Kenneth was busy reading one of his medical journals. Joseph was looking at the selection in the vending machines.

Joseph slammed the Plexiglas in frustration. "They don't have the peanut M&Ms." He said disappointedly.

"You know the other vending machine has them." Forest said.

"But it's all the way at the other end of the building." Joseph whined.

Jill rolled her eyes. "Well isn't that too bad."

"Maybe you should bring some with you from home." Brad said.

Joseph groaned. "You guys are missing the point. These machines should be filled every day. It's not fair for someone to walk to the other end of the building when they could get the same thing right here."

"Tell someone who gives a damn." Enrico said.

"Man, why is everyone picking on me all of the sudden?" Joseph asked.

"Because your complaining is driving us insane." Forest replied.

Wesker called the team to attention. "Listen up people. As you know we're getting a new member for our team. Barry personally requested that we take this man on. From what I have read he would make an excellent addition to this unit." Wesker looked at his watch. " He should be here any minute now. I want you to make him feel welcome." Wesker leaned over to Barry. "Where the hell is he? He should have been here five minutes ago."

"Well, he doesn't have a car so he's using the public transportation system." Barry replied. "He may also be waiting in the hall. I think he's expecting one of us to meet him outside."

"Then go outside and bring him in here as soon as he arrives." Wesker said.

Barry nodded. "I will Captain." Barry left the room, leaving the others to gossip.

"I don't know about you," Forest said, "but I think this new guy sure won't be on Captain Wesker's good side."

"From what I heard this guy is supposed to be some ex-Air Force guy." Enrico said.

Brad looked nervously at the door. "Do you think the Captain will have this guy take over my job?"

Richard chuckled. "I seriously doubt that you'll be replaced."

"Judging from how you do in a fight the only place you can be of help is in a helicopter." Edward said.

"I feel so much better." Brad said sarcastically.

"I hope he isn't a prick." Jill said. "From what I heard those Air Force guys are really cocky."

Barry barged through the door. "He's here."

"Finally." Wesker said. "Bring him in."

Everyone turned as Barry led in the new member. Jill was shocked to see the man she had met in the café. "I don't believe it." She muttered.

"This is Christopher Redfield." Wesker announced. "He's are new member of Alpha team."

Everyone introduced themselves to Chris, except for Jill who tried to distance herself from him. Chris lit up when he saw Jill. "Hey Jill, I told you I would see you soon."

"Hey Jill." Forest said. "You know him?"

"I met him earlier at a café." Jill replied.

Chris nodded. "We got along very well."

Wesker listened to the conversation. "Since you two obviously know each other then you two should have no problems working together. Valentine, Redfield is your new partner."

"But Captain…" Jill began.

"I expect you two to work well together." Wesker continued. "Now go show Redfield to the office and show him his desk. This will also give you some time to get better acquainted. Now go."

"After you Jill." Chris said.

Jill growled and led Chris out of the room.

"Nice building." Chris said. "How did the police get such a nice place?"

"It used to be the art museum until last January." Jill replied dryly. "It was thought that the RPD should have a bigger building. Here we are." Jill stopped in front of a door on the second floor. A gray plague with the word "S.T.A.R.S. office" was fixed to the right of the door. Jill took an ID card from her pocket and ran it through a card reader next to the knob. The red light switched to a green light and the door unlocked. Jill opened the door and stepped inside. "This is it."

Chris entered and looked around. "Boy, this wasn't what I expected." The room was large and spacious. To the right stood a locker next to communications equipment. In the back right corner stood some shelves and a first-aid box. To the left of the door were a fax machine and some more shelves. Along the back wall sat four desks. Three were full of stuff, but one was empty. Wesker's desk sat at the far left of the room, right in front of a large picture of the S.T.A.R.S. emblem. "So this is the office?"

Jill pointed around the room. "The big desk over there is the Captains. The desk next to Wesker's with the guns is Barry's. The desk at the far right is Enrico's. One after that is mine. There's the fax, the communications equipment, and the weapons locker. Any other questions?"

"Is the empty desk mine?" Chris asked playfully.

"What the hell do you think?" Jill replied coldly.

Chris walked over to the empty desk and sat down. "Hey, we're right next to each other. Isn't that nice?"

Jill rolled her eyes. "That's just perfect."

Chris noticed how different Jill's behavior had been from before. "What's the matter Jill? Earlier in the café we were getting along great. Hell, you walked up to me. Now you're acting like you don't want to be near me. Why is that?"

Jill walked over to Chris and stared him in the eye. "Look, what happened in the café was very different. First of all I didn't even know you were going to be joining this unit. Second, I only talked to you because my friends pressured me into doing it. Whatever little thoughts you had about what happened in the café you can just forget. I don't date co-workers. I never have and I never will. And don't get any ideas that you are going to be an exception, cause you won't. As far as I am concerned we are partners and that's all."

"Does that mean we can't be friends?" Chris asked.

Jill threw up her hands. "Jesus Christ. You know, I figured that you would be some idiot who thought that you could sweep me off my feet with your stupid charm. Well guess what, it won't work. If you don't believe me then ask half the guys here."

Chris stood up and glared at Jill. "Fine, I get the picture. I was only joking around. I took this job so I could get some money and maybe make something with my life. I didn't take it to pick up women. And as far as you are concerned, you don't need to worry about me hitting on you. Hell, I don't even date, nor will I in the near future. So maybe you should loosen up a little bit. Now if you'll excuse me I better go see what I need to get for Wesker." Chris left the room and slammed the door behind him.

Jill was caught off guard by Chris' sudden aggressiveness. She started to feel guilty for the way she had crewed him out. "Maybe I shouldn't have yelled at him like that." She said to herself. "I better go apologize." Jill took a deep breath and left the room.

  
Present

"We didn't exactly get off on the right foot, did we?" Chris asked.

"No, we didn't." Jill replied. "I really shouldn't have talked to you like that. I guess it was because I didn't want to get close to someone and then break up with him and then have to work with him. I saw that happen once and I swore I wouldn't put myself in that position."

"Yeah. I remember how you apologized to me outside of the meeting room." Chris said. "I shouldn't have joked around like that."

Jill played with her napkin. "Well, it was mean that you didn't tell me who you were at that café. That could have avoided our whole argument."

Chris chuckled. "Maybe you shouldn't have let your friends talk you into it. I was flattered that you did talk to me."

Jill smiled. "To tell you the truth I did enjoy it. I thought you were cute."

"Well, at least we got along after our little discussion." Chris said. "At least we knew where we stood."

"But that still didn't stop us from falling for each other." Jill replied. "That didn't stop us one bit."

Author's Comments: How was that for the first chapter? For this story I'm going for a cross between romance and humor. In case you didn't figure it out already, this whole story is about how Chris and Jill's relationship developed. We already saw how they met, and know we will see their friendship turn to something more. We also find out that things weren't so pleasant in the beginning. Both Chris and Jill made it perfectly clear where their relationship stood. Seems that in the beginning neither of them were looking to have a personal relationship, only a professional one. However, as we all know that will change. With that said, on to the next chapter.

In chapter two our happy couple continue to talk about the past. We'll find out just how Jill began to fall for Chris. We'll also see the others thoughts about Chris and Jill being partners. The romance continues in Story Of Us: Chapter 2- Getting Close.


	2. Getting Close

            Disclaimer: Resident Evil is property of Capcom. This story is my property.

            Side Notes: This story takes place several years after Umbrella's fall. Dates in reference to the RE timeline are guessed on. Background information for main characters is a cross between the games and the S. D. Perry novels.

Story Of Us 

By: Striker

Chapter 2- Getting Close.

Present

"So when did you really start falling for me?" Chris asked.

"I'd have to say a few weeks after I met you." Jill replied. "I believe it was the day I found out about your sister."

Chris smiled. "The café. I remember that day. Remember how the guys wouldn't leave us alone?"

Jill giggled. "They started the day you arrived. They just felt that we should be together."

"All except Wesker." Chris said. "He even tried to stop it."

"Yeah, I remember." Jill said. "That morning…"

  
Raccoon City. July 24, 1997.

"So when's the big date?" Forest asked.

"Don't you have something called work?" Jill asked, trying to type up a report.

Joseph leaned on the corner of Jill's desk. "Come on, you can tell us. We're all friends, right?"

"Hey if you don't tell us, Chris will." Forest said. "Right buddy?"

Chris grunted and continued to work at his desk.

"Why don't you guys back off?" Barry asked.

Richard walked over to Chris and gestured to the partners. "We need to know because it's what everyone is talking about. The one question the whole precinct is asking is if Chris and Jill are just friends, or something more. The thought of love blooming in the S.T.A.R.S. office is on everyone's mind."

"You read too many romance novels." Edward said, standing next to Brad by the communications equipment.

Brad chuckled. "You guys need to get laid."

Forest glared at Brad. "Shut up chickenheart. If you were with a woman you'd pass out as soon as she took off her socks."

Richard patted Chris on the back. "All we want to know is if you and Jill are an item."

"Shut up, leave me alone." Chris said, his eyes fixed to his computer screen.

"Maybe you should leave them alone." Kenneth said, standing next to Enrico's desk. "If they are dating it's their own damn business."

Enrico nodded. "If they want to tell us they'll tell us." Enrico looked at Jill. "So, are you two an item?"

"Not you too." Jill moaned. "How many different ways do you want me to say no?"

"Face it Jill, they won't listen." Chris said.

Joseph snapped his fingers and pointed at Chris. "There you two go again. Why is it that whenever we ask you this question you get so defensive?"

"Can you please knock it off?" Barry asked. "You're all giving me a headache."

Wesker entered the office and marched to his desk. He had heard most of the conversation from the hall. "Don't we all have work to do?"

"We were just talking about…" Forest began.

"Talking about meaningless bullshit." Wesker cut in. "Why can't you people work like Chris? Since he's been here he's done more work in two weeks than all of you have in two months."

"You better spot Chris." Richard said. "You're making us look bad."

"That's not too hard." Jill said.

Wesker growled. "Listen up. Forest, Richard, get down to the weapons locker and clean those guns. Joseph, get your ass down to the motor pool. Edward, get up to the helipad and service those copters. Kenneth, get down to forensics. The rest of you, finish up your paperwork." The men standing there staring at him only pissed him off more. "What are you waiting for, a written invitation? GET MOVING!" The S.T.A.R.S. members scrambled from the room. The one's that stayed quickly got back to work. Wesker sat down in his chair and rubbed his forehead. "Sometimes I feel like I'm running a circus."

"I tired to stop them." Barry said. "But they would leave these two alone." He pointed to Chris and Jill.

"Look, I couldn't give a shit about your personal lives." Wesker said. "What I do give a shit about is when you put gossip about your lives before your work. This has gone on ever since Chris got here. I want it to stop now."

Everyone present acknowledged and got back to work.

Chris sat by a window booth and continued to write his letter. He was in the same café that he had first met Jill in. He had come to the café every once and a while. The place was small and the food wasn't that bad. Mostly he had gone to Grady's Inn with Barry, Forest, and the other guys. Chris ate some of his fires and went back to writing.

Jill soon entered by herself. Valerie was sick in bed and Tracy was swamped with work. Jill looked around and spied Chris sitting alone. She walked over to his table. "Fancy meeting you here."

Chris set down his pen and looked up at Jill. "I needed some time to myself. Where are your friends?"

"Valerie caught the flu and Tracy got a load of work dumped on her." Jill replied.

Chris motioned to the seat opposite him. "Have a seat."

"Thanks." Jill said, sitting down. "So what are you writing?"

"It's a letter to my sister." Chris replied.

"You have a sister?" Jill asked.

Chris nodded. "Her name's Claire. She's my little sister. She's about five years younger than I am. She starts college next month. I write her about once a month to tell her how I'm doing."

"How about your parents?" Jill asked. "Do you write to them?"

Chris closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "My parents are dead. They died in a car accident when I was fifteen. Drunk driver plowed into them head-on. Claire's the only family I have left."

"I'm sorry." Jill said softly.

"It's something I really don't talk much about." Chris said. "I still miss them but I've managed to deal with their deaths. So how about your family?"

Jill stared out the window. "I'm an only child. My mother died when I was eleven or twelve. My father took care of me ever since. Soon I found out that my father was a thief. Ever hear of Dick Valentine?"

"Yeah, I have." Chris said. "Wasn't he busted a few years ago for grand larceny?"

"Well, I'm his daughter." Jill said.

"I thought your last name sounded familiar." Chris said. "So it is true, you were a thief."

Jill sighed. "Ex-thief. Most people don't understand the difference. After my father got arrested he found out that I had followed in his footsteps. After I was arrested he pushed me to join the police and give up stealing. I did what he said and now I'm here. However, some people in the RPD still don't trust me. They all think that I'm still a thief. Whenever there's a break-in they think I did it."

"You're not the only one who's got in trouble." Chris said. "When I turned twenty I joined the Air Force in order to get money for Claire and I. I was one of the best at my airbase. Then during a ground mission one of our teammates was injured. Against orders I rushed back and got him. For that I got kicked out. I became a drifter until I met Barry and he got me to join this unit."

"Looks like we've both had bad childhoods." Jill said.

A gray-hair woman walked up to the table. "Hey Jill, I see you have a new friend. What can I get you?"

"The usual Betty." Jill replied. "Chris, this is Betty. She's one of my good friends."

Chris smiled and waved to Betty. Betty smiled and left to get Jill's food.

"You know, you're one of the only people I've opened up to." Chris said. "After my parents died I closed myself off from everyone but my sister. I've only had a few close friends, but I never told them this much. Usually I don't even talk about my parents or how I got kicked out of the Air Force." Chris looked back at his letter. "I guess I feel comfortable talking around you."

"So that's why you're so quiet." Jill said. "You know when I first heard that you were in the Air Force I thought you would be some cocky asshole who thought he was tough shit. I guess I was wrong to think that."

"Most people make that mistake." Chris said. "But sometimes I do act like a cocky asshole."

Betty brought Jill her lunch. Jill thanked the woman and began to eat her salad. As she looked up, she saw Chris take out a pack of cigarettes and light one up. "You know those are bad for you."

"Relax Jill, I only smoke once and a while." Chris said. He took a drag and blew the smoke out. "I usually have one twice a week."

"Well I don't like to be around people who smoke." Jill said. "I think it's disgusting."

Chris took another drag. "Fine, I'll put it out." Chris jammed the cigarette into an ashtray. "Happy?"

"Quite." Jill replied.

Chris finished writing his letter as he and Jill continued to talk.

Chris and Jill entered the S.T.A.R.S. office and took their seats. Forest was talking with Joseph by the fax machine when he saw them enter. He immediately ran over to Chris' desk. "Now where did you two come from?"

"They probably came back from having lunch together." Joseph said.

"So that's why you didn't come with us." Forest said to Chris. "You had a secret rendezvous with Jill."

"No retard." Jill said. "I just happened to run into him at the café and we talked."

Joseph lit up at the news. "Hey guys, these two had lunch together." Soon the whole team except for Barry and Wesker had gathered around.

"So what happened?" Richard asked.

"They probably stared into each others eyes and shared a soda." Edward replied.

Enrico let out a gruff laugh. "They probably had a conversation about work."

"Or maybe planning a romantic dinner for two." Brad said.

"Would the jury buy it if I called killing them justifiable homicide?" Chris asked.

Jill shook her head. "No, go with temporary insanity."

Wesker stood up and removed his shades, revealing his hard, cold, blue eyes. "Don't start this again. Get your asses back to work now." The team scurried off after seeing Wesker's icy stare.

"Thanks Captain." Chris said.

Wesker put his shades back on and sat down. "What makes you think I did that for you?"

Chris shrugged and went back to work.

When it was time to leave the team left the office except for Forest and Enrico, who had the night shift. Jill said goodnight to Chris in the parking lot and watched him walk off towards his apartment. Barry walked over and tapped her on the shoulder.

"So you ran into Chris?" Barry asked.

"Don't start." Jill replied.

Barry shook his head. "No, it's just that maybe you know why he didn't come to Grady's Inn with the other guys."

"He was writing a letter to his sister." Jill replied.

"Oh." Barry said. "Do you know about his family?"

Jill nodded. "He told me what happened."

Barry was a little surprised. "I didn't think he'd tell you about that. For as long as I've known him he rarely talks about himself to anyone."

"I know." Jill said. "I thought he was going to be some arrogant flyboy at first. Now I see that he's really a nice guy."

Barry knew what was happening. "I think you're falling for him Jill."

Jill gave Barry a funny look. "What makes you think that?"

"Believe me, I can tell." Barry replied. "I am married you know." Barry winked at her and left.

Jill watched Barry leave. She then got into her car and started the engine. Before she left she looked in the rearview mirror. "Face it Jill, you are falling for him."

Chris walked down the sidewalk. Jill drove by and honked at him. Chris smiled and waved to her. As he continued walking he thought back to the conversation at the café. "Face it Chris, you're falling for her."

  
Present

"We really got close that day." Jill said. "And that was the day I first started to fall in love with you."

"To tell you the truth I started falling for you too." Chris said. "I never thought I'd tell you so much so soon. And I still can't believe that I put my cigarette out for you."

Jill took a sip of wine. "I still can't believe that Barry saw it. I was really surprised by what he said."

"He probably went through the same thing with Kathy." Chris said. "Hell, Barry even said that he knew we would get along nicely. I bet he was waiting for this to happen."

"I wonder if the others would have left us alone if we told them we were together." Jill said.

Chris shook his head. "No, that would have made it worse. Forest and the others would never have left us alone."

"Well, I guess it was only a matter of time before we did hook up." Jill said.

"And neither of us could have avoided it." Chris said. 

Author's Comments: The relationship deepens. Like Jill said it was only a matter of time. In this chapter we see that the other S.T.A.R.S. members continuously hounded both Chris and Jill. We also saw their first heart to heart. Finally, it looks like Barry knows what's going on between our two partners. By the way, I decided on a combination of the game and novels for the backgrounds. For Chris I chose the game. For Jill I went with the novels. I also decided to play around with the character's personalities. Finally, I guessed on Wesker's eye color. If I'm right, good. If I'm wrong, oh well, we all make mistakes.

In the next chapter the inevitable will happen. See how Chris and Jill finally becomes a couple in Story Of Us: Chapter 3- Getting Closer.


	3. Getting Closer

            Disclaimer: Resident Evil is property of Capcom. This story is my property.

            Side Notes: This story takes place several years after Umbrella's fall. Dates in reference to the RE timeline are guessed on. Background information for main characters is a cross between the games and the S. D. Perry novels.

Story Of Us 

By: Striker

Chapter 3- Getting Closer.

Present

Chris swallowed his bite of steak. "Remember our first kiss?"

Jill sighed. "How could I forget? It was so romantic. You and me alone, the lights down low, the mood perfect. The moment couldn't have been better."

"Which time?" Chris asked. "From what I remember there were two moments that were perfect. One was at the park, the second one was in the office."

"We would have kissed in the park, but we were interrupted." Jill said. "I swear I could have strangled Barry."

Chris chuckled. "You looked like it. Anyway, I think it was in late August…"

  
Raccoon City. August 16, 1997.

Chris sat on one of the benches along the lake in Raccoon City Park. He dug into a bag of popcorn and popped a few pieces into his mouth. He then dug out a few pieces and tossed them into the water. He smiled as a group of ducks gobbled the fluffy treats up. The ducks quaked happily and waited for more. "You guys still hungry?" Chris tossed some more popcorn into the water and watched the ducks devour the food. A cool breeze blew through the park, causing the reeds to his right to slightly bend. "Barry was right, this place isn't that bad." Chris turned to a group of teenagers playing catch with a Frisbee. Chris began to flash back to his own childhood. The quacking of the ducks snapped him back to reality. "Sorry about that fellas." Chris said, tossing a few more kernels to the birds.

Jill jogged down the path like she did every day. The fact that she didn't have to be to work until five gave her a chance to sleep in. Her gray jogging shorts and T-shirt were soaked in perspiration. Her hair was tied back in a short ponytail and bounced rhythmically as she ran. She stopped at a fountain to take a much-needed drink. She then pulled a cloth from her waist pouch and dampened it. As she looked up she saw Chris tossing popcorn to the ducks. She briskly walked over and sat down next to him, wiping her face with the cloth. "You know, we should really stop running into each other like this. First it was the café, and now here."

"Hey Jill." Chris replied. He froze when he saw how she looked. Her clothes clung to her body, showing off every curve. After a few seconds he muttered the will to speak. "What brings you here?"

"I go jogging through the park every day." Jill replied. She had noticed the way he was looking at her. "So what are you doing?"

"I decided to kill some time before I have to go in." Chris said. "I thought I'd feed the ducks." He tossed some more popcorn to the ducks.

"What time do you have to be at work?" Jill asked.

"Five." Chris replied.

Jill smiled. "Me too. So, you come here to feed the ducks often?"

"Sometimes." Chris replied. "Kind of brings back some good memories. My parents owned a house in the country. We had a lake out back that Claire and I would go swimming in. We also used to feed the ducks and geese that lived in the marshes. I also used to feed the ducks at the orphanage I lived in for a while."

"What was that orphanage like?" Jill asked.

"I hated that place." Chris said. "I had to spend three years in that hellhole."

Jill placed her hand on Chris' shoulder. "Didn't anyone want to adopt you and your sister?"

Chris shook his head. "Not together. Most people either wanted a boy or a girl. I had promised Claire that I would never leave her. So it was decided that either someone adopted both of us or no neither of us. The kids there were assholes. They always picked on us. Claire and I learned to fight at and early age. Soon we won so many fights that the kids avoided us. When I turned eighteen I left with Claire. We learned how to survive on our own. When I went into the Air Force Claire stayed with a friend of the family until she turned eighteen."

"It must have been rough." Jill said. She could tell Chris didn't like talking about this topic.

"At least I'm here now." Chris said. "As far as I'm concerned, that was all in the past. So how did you become a thief?"

Jill leaned back and slowly let her breath out. "One day Dick asked me to get his wallet out of his jacket. When I searched through the pockets I found a bag full of metal pieces. Being curious and noisy I asked him what they were. Dick told me they were lockpicks. He then taught me how to use them. Pretty soon I was breaking into everything in the house. Next thing you know I'm stealing cars and breaking into my friends' houses. Dick wasn't too pleased with that."

Chris gave Jill a funny look. "You really shouldn't call your dad by his first name."

"Ever since he got arrested I started to." Jill said. "I don't know why, but I do."

"Do you ever talk to him?" Chris asked.

Jill nodded. "I went to see him last week. I told him about you. He said to bring you to see him next time I visit."

Chris grinned. "I bet he wants to give me the me the father/boyfriend talk."

"All I told him is that we're partners." Jill said. "He probably wants to tell you to watch me."

Chris tilted the bag of popcorn towards Jill. "You want to feed the ducks?"

Jill reached into the bag. "Sure." She took a handful and tossed it towards the waterfowl. "Chris, I've been thinking…"

"Jill, I…"

They both spoke at the same time. They sat staring at each other in silence. Chris couldn't help but notice how beautiful Jill looked in her outfit. Jill was taken by how the sun fell over Chris' face, giving his dark brown eyes a soft glow. Slowly they began to move closer to each other. As their faces drew near they closed their eyes in anticipation for the kiss. Suddenly a ringing came from Jill's pouch. Both pulled back as Jill removed a cell phone from the pouch.

Jill suppressed her anger as she answered. "Hello?"

"Hey Jill." Came Barry's voice. "I called your house but you weren't there. Where are you?"

"Hi Barry. I'm taking a jog through the park." Jill said, trying to sound cheerful. "What do you want?"

"I just called to tell you that you have to be in at five today." Barry replied. "I called Chris' apartment, but he didn't answer. Would you happen to know where he is?"

"I have an idea." Jill said, looking at Chris. He had gone back to feeding the ducks.

"Well if you see him tell him that he needs to be in at five too." Barry said. "See you at the office."

Jill waited until Barry hung up before stuffing the phone back into her pouch. "Chris, Barry said to tell you to be in at five."

"OK." Chris said, a hint of annoyment in his voice.

Jill got up and walked off. "I'm going to kill Barry." She grumbled to herself.

"Shit." Chris said under his breath. He got up and ran after Jill. "Hey, you want to get something to eat?"

Jill stopped and turned to Chris. "Sure. Do you mind running to my place? I didn't drive over."

Chris shook his head. "I don't mind at all."

"Oh, and one more thing. Don't bring your cigarettes." Jill said.

"Agreed." With that said Chris and Jill began to jog back to her house.

When Chris and Jill got to the office they took their seats and got to work. Barry got up from his desk and walked over to Chris. "Hey Chris, did Jill give you my message?"

"Yeah." Chris said. "Only thing is you really didn't have to remind either of us."

Barry turned to Jill. "So, how did your jog go?"

Jill ignored him and continues to type.

"Did I do something wrong?" Barry asked.

"You probably messed up her run." Forest said. "Right Jill?"

"Go away Forest." Jill snapped.

Forest jumped back. "Damn, what are you so pissed about?"

"I'd leave her alone before she makes you less of a man." Richard said, sitting at the communications equipment.

Forest walked back over to the self next to Enrico's desk and leafed through the files.

"I was waiting for you two to get here." Wesker said, entering the office. "Jill, tonight you have the late shift with Chris. I'm sure that Chris knows what to do, but if forgets I want you to help him. Got it Jill?"

"Yes Captain." Jill said.

Chris looked over at Forest and Richard. Both men were grinning from ear to ear. "It's going to be a long day." He said to himself.

Chris stared blankly at his computer monitor. So far the shift had been boring. Despite a few trips to the snack machines nothing interesting was happening. "God I hate this."

"Try doing this three nights in a row." Jill said. "It gets really boring. One night I had to stay here with Richard. It got so bad we tried to pick up radio stations with the comm. equipment. Next this you know we're taking to some trucker carrying a load of toilet paper. We had an hour discussion over which was better, one or two ply."

"Ouch." Chris said. "You must have been ready to hang yourself?"

"The shotgun in the gun locker looked very attractive." Jill replied.

Chris turned his chair so he was facing the door. "You know, when I first joined the S.T.A.R.S. I thought it would be more exciting than this. Sitting around at night doing nothing was not what I expected."

"Disappointing, isn't it?" Jill asked. She moved her chair so she was next to Chris. "I kind of prefer this. Being behind a desk most of the time makes the missions more exciting. Don't worry, you'll see action soon."

"I guess after the Air Force I should be happy to have a slow job." Chris said.

Jill bit her lip and questioned whether to ask. She got up her nerve and spoke. "Hey Chris, I wanted to ask you this earlier at the park."

"Shoot." Chris said.

"Have you ever heard about soul mates before?" Jill asked.

Chris nodded. "Sort of, why?"

"I once heard that some people have a soul mate, someone who makes them feel whole." Jill explained. "Dick, I mean my father, told me that I would one day meet the right person, someone that I would fall in love with. He said that was what happened when he met my mother. He said that he knew she was the one for him. Do you really believe that some people are meant for each other?"

"I don't know." Chris said. "I suppose that's true. I never really thought about it. Why are you asking me this?"

Jill took a deep breath. "In my life a dated some real losers. Most of them liked me for my looks. The rest were just morons. Even though I told myself I was in love, I never felt it. It was like something was missing. Funny thing is when I'm around you I feel like I have that piece." Jill laughed to herself. "I must sound crazy to you."

Chris shook his head. "No you don't. You know, I've never been that interested in women. Sure I found some women attractive or nice, but that was it. But when I met you something just clicked. You're the first woman I've ever been this close to. To tell you the truth, I think I may be in love with you."

Jill couldn't restrain her happiness. "I think I'm in love with you too. My mind is telling me to stop, but my heart is saying to go ahead. I've been alone for so long I don't know what to do."

Chris took Jill's hands. "My parents told me to go with my heart. I think we should both do that."

The partners stared at each other. Slowly they began to lean towards each other. Jill suddenly paused.

"What's the matter?" Chris asked.

"I'm just worried about someone walking in on us." Jill replied.

"I'll fix that." Chris said. He got up and walked over to the door. He locked it and flipped off the lights. The only light now came from the computer monitors. "There, all set."

Jill stood up as Chris walked over to her. They stood staring into each other's eyes, the light from the monitors casting a romantic glow. Slowly they moved closer to each other and brought their lips together. The feeling was incredible as they held each other and continued the kiss. After what seemed like an eternity they broke the kiss. Jill looked into Chris' eyes, her own blue eyes sparkling. She could only say one thing. "Wow."

Chris gently stroked her cheek. "I guess this means were more then friends now."

"I guess so." They kissed again, this time their tongues exploring each other's mouths. When they finished Jill rested her head on Chris' shoulder. "I love you Chris."

"I love you too Jill." Chris replied.

"What are we going to tell the others?" Jill asked.

Chris chuckled. "They don't have to know."

  
Present.

"That couldn't have been more romantic, could it?" Chris asked.

Jill closed her eyes. "I can still remember that night like it was yesterday."

Chris stared at Jill. "God, you looked so beautiful that night. I wished it could have lasted forever."

Jill opened her eyes. "It seemed too. I guess I should have thanked Barry for calling me. Because of that we had to wait until that night."

"Only problem was not letting the others know." Chris said.

"I admit, it did add something to our relationship trying to hide it from our friends." Jill said. "Besides, I doubt that Wesker would have approved of it."

Chris chuckled. "I wouldn't have given a damn."

"I still can't believe that we went that long without the rest of the team even knowing." Jill said. "They still hounded us, but they never found out."

"It was like nothing could come between us." Chris said. "It was like we never had a problem."

"Well, all except for one person." Jill said.

Author's Comments: There you have it. That's how Chris and Jill became a couple. (At least according to me it is.) We also have a little more of their past explained. Keep in mind that this is what I came up with for their pasts. Whether or not it's in the game history is beyond me. We also find out that Chris and Jill have kept their relationship a secret from the others. But we also find out that something, or someone, caused a little problem.

In the next chapter we see what, and who, the problem is. A familiar character enters the picture and inadvertently stirs up trouble. Check it out in Story Of Us: Chapter 4- Rebecca Arrives.


	4. Rebecca Arrives

            Disclaimer: Resident Evil is property of Capcom. This story is my property.

            Side Notes: This story takes place several years after Umbrella's fall. Dates in reference to the RE timeline are guessed on. Background information for main characters is a cross between the games and the S. D. Perry novels.

Story Of Us 

By: Striker

Chapter 4- Rebecca Arrives.

Present.

"You're not talking about Rebecca, are you?" Chris asked.

"Yes I am." Jill said.

Chris laughed. "I can't believe you still make a big deal out of it."

"Well I should." Jill said. "I remember the day when Becky was assigned to our team. You started flirting with her."

"I did not." Chris said. "I was being nice to her. It was the other guys that started up on her. You were being jealous."

"Maybe I was, but I had a right to be." Jill replied.

"I wonder what Becky would say if she heard this right now." Chris said.

Jill narrowed her eyes. "She never will. She still doesn't know and I plan to keep it at that."

"I still think you blew it way out of proportion." Chris said. "I should know, I was there. And to think the day started of with…"

  
Raccoon City. May 4, 1998.

Chris and Jill stood next to the door to the RPD lost in conversation about the previous night.

"That was such a wonderful movie." Jill said. "Thank you for taking me to see it."

"Anytime." Chris said. "The walk in the park wasn't bad either. I forgot the last time I looked for the constellations."

"I still can't believe that you knew so many of them." Jill said. "I couldn't even find the Big Dipper."

Chris placed his hand on Jill's shoulder. "Don't take it too hard. Only reason I knew was from nights of lying in my backyard with my father. Speaking of which, went are you going to see your dad again?"

"Maybe in two weeks." Jill said. "I do admit that he liked you a lot. I guess he thinks that having someone like you will keep me on the straight and narrow."

"So, have any plans for tonight?" Chris asked.

Jill shook her head. "Just another night alone in front of the TV."

"Maybe I can come over to your place." Chris said. "We can order pizza and watch movies."

"Can we come over too?" Forest asked as the rest of the team approached.

"Sure." Jill said. "That would be great."

"Hey, I'll bring the beer." Kenneth said.

Barry nodded. "That would be a great way to welcome our new member."

"What new member?" Chris asked.

Richard gave Chris a funny look. "Have you been living in a cave for the past few days? Ever since Joe here got promoted to Alpha by the Captain there's an empty slot in our team."

Enrico nodded. "So today we're getting a new teammate. Rumor has it that Wesker picked the guy himself."

Jill crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe. "So when do we meet this person?"

"Sometime today." Barry said. "Heard whoever it is is young."

"Well, we better get inside before Wesker chews us out." Enrico said.

Chris and Jill let the others pass before following. "How much do you think they heard?" Jill whispered.

"Hopefully not too much." Chris whispered back. "They find out about us and we'll never hear the end of it."

The team was assembled in the meeting room. Wesker stood at the podium and looked out over his team. "As most of you know we have a new member to the team. Her name is Rebecca Chambers. I can assume that some of you may have seen her already. She's been with the RPD for a couple of months. I recruited her because this team will need her skills as a field medic. She also has a degree in biochemistry for she can assist Kenneth. She's also eighteen, so Jill and Richard no longer have the honor of being the youngest people on the team. I want all of you to make her feel welcome." He turned to the back of the room. "Rebecca, come out here."

"All right." Forest said. "I hope this girl's cute."

"Behave yourself." Enrico said.

"Yeah, we don't want to freak her out." Jill said.

Soon a young girl emerged from the back room. She was dressed in a RPD uniform. She also had a red bandana tied around her head, pulling back her brown hair. She looked around nervously before waving. "Hi." She said meekly.

"Damn, she's cuter than you Jill." Joseph said.

            "I think you're going to have some competition." Edward added.

Jill gave both men a mean look.

Enrico nudged Barry. "We better go say hi before those fools make her more nervous than she already is." Enrico, Barry, and Kenneth got up and approached the young woman. Enrico reached out his hand. "My name's Enrico Marini." He said in a gentle tone. "I'm second in command to Wesker. I'm also Bravo team's Captain. You'll be working under me."

Rebecca shook Enrico's hand. "Nice to meet you."

"I'm Kenneth Sullivan." Kenneth said. "I'm also in Bravo team."

Barry held out his hand. "Barry Burton. I'm in Alpha team. It'll be a pleasure working with you."

Rebecca began to feel more comfortable. "It'll be an honor to be part of the S.T.A.R.S. I've heard so much about this unit."

Brad and Edward walked up next. ""I'm Brad Vickers. I'm the pilot for Alpha team."

"And I'm Edward Dewey." Edward said. "I'm the pilot for Brave team. It's nice to meet you."

"Same here." Rebecca said.

Next came Forest, Joseph, and Richard. The three men pushed the others aside. "Hey Rebecca, my name is Forest Speyer." Forest said flamboyantly. "This is Richard Aiken and Joseph Frost. We, except for Joseph, are in Bravo team. I'm sure we'll have a lot of fun working together."

"Yeah." Richard said. "We're like the badasses of the RPD."

"All you have to do is stick by us and we'll teach you everything you need to know." Joseph finished.

"OK." Rebecca said, backing up a bit.

Jill turned to Chris. "Damage control." Chris nodded and followed Jill as she made her way to Rebecca, who looked more nervous than when she first came out. "Get these guys out of here." Jill said to Barry. Barry grabbed Joseph and whacked him in the back of the head before pulling him aside. Enrico and Kenneth drug Forest and Richard out of the way and began to reprimand them. Jill turned to Rebecca and smiled. "Ignore Larry, Curly, and Mo. They haven't had their medication yet. Anyway, I'm Jill Valentine. I'm with Alpha team."

Rebecca seemed more relaxed. "Nice to meet you. Are those guys always like this?"

"Always." Jill said. "If you don't pay attention to them they'll leave you alone."

Chris stepped up and held out his hand. "Hi. Chris Redfield. I'm also in Alpha team with Jill. I guess I'm no longer the new guy."

Rebecca's eyes lit up when she got a look at Chris. "Hi Chris." She shook his hand vigorously. "So you're the one the other girls have been talking about."

"Really?" Chris asked, a little surprised.

"Yeah." Rebecca replied. "Ever since I got here I've heard about this hunk in the S.T.A.R.S. team. I guess that's you."

Chris chuckled and scratched his head. "I really didn't know that. I should be flattered."

"Chris." Wesker said. "Since you seem to be getting along so well with Rebecca you can show her the office. Enrico, for the time being Rebecca will have your desk so I can keep an eye on her. Once she's settled in I'll move her out. Is that understood?"

"Yes Captain." Enrico said.

"Well, I better show you around." Chris said. "I believe you know how to get there."

"Sure do." Rebecca replied. "I think I'm going to like being in this team." She and Chris headed for the door. As they left Forest, Richard, and Joseph began hooting and hollering.

Barry looked over to Jill, who had an annoyed look on her face. "Is anything wrong Jill?" Barry asked.

"No, nothing's wrong." Jill replied, despite the fact that she was feeling pangs of jealousy.

  
Present.

"Face it Jill, you were jealous." Chris said.

"Well I had a right to be." Jill said. "You would be too jealous too if the new guy was acting that was with me."

"Look, I admit that Becky was a little infatuated with me, but so were the other women at the precinct." Chris said.

"Hey, did I make a big deal about it?" Jill asked.

"No." Chris replied.

Jill crossed her arms. "Then there."

Chris pointed at Jill. "But you did later on. If I remember correctly it was two or three weeks later. Rebecca and I were having a conversation and you took it the wrong way."

"Well I came in at the wrong time." Jill said.

"And instead of asking me, you blew the whole thing out of proportion." Chris said. "Rebecca had stopped me in the hall to ask me about…"

  
Raccoon City. May 23, 1998.

Chris finished climbing the stairs from the first floor. The halls were deserted due to the strange happenings in the mountains outside of town. Several days ago a woman's body had been found mutilated on the bank of the Marble River. People had also reported seeing monsters in the woods. Most of the police force was busy searching the mountains. However, the S.T.A.R.S. had not been called in. Chief Irons had assured Mayor Warren that the RPD could handle it. This news had pissed Wesker off. Nevertheless, Wesker was sure that his unit would eventually be called in. Chris paused and looked over the railing. "I wonder what the hell is going on."

"Hey Chris!" Chris turned to see Rebecca swiftly walking from the direction of the S.T.A.R.S. office. "Can I talk to you for a minute."

"Sure." Chris leaned against the railing. "What's up?"

"It's about what's been going on." Rebecca said. "I'm worried about when we have to go out there. I don't know if I can be of any help. I feel like I'm not supposed to be here."

Chris knew what Rebecca was going through. "I felt the same way when I was in the Air Force. Give it a few more months and you'll feel like part of the team in no time."

Rebecca smiled. "You know, you, Barry, Jill, Brad are the only people here that I don't feel nervous around."

"Well, I guess it's because of the way we relate to you." Chris began. "Barry is a family man and has two daughters of his own, so he probably thinks of you as a daughter. Jill cares a lot about others, especially her friends. Brad is sort of an outcast because he acts like a coward. He probably sympathizes with what you're feeling. Finally, I kind of see you as a little sister."

"You really do?" Rebecca asked.

"Sure." Chris said.

Jill exited the evidence room. She had just deposited a few items from one of her cases. As she approached the stairs she overheard the conversation.

"You know I consider you a close friend Becky. I just want you to know that if you ever have any doubts or need someone to talk to I'll be there. Feel better now?"

"Yeah Chris, I do." Rebecca replied. "You sure know how to make a girl feel better. Thank you Chris."

"Anytime Becky." Chris replied. He watched Rebecca walk off towards the office. After a few seconds he followed.

Jill stood still for a few seconds, going through what she had just heard. Her perplexed expression soon turned to a scowl as she climbed the stairs. She entered the office and took her seat at her desk.

"Hey Jill." Chris said.

Jill ignored him and started working on her reports.

"Jill." Wesker said, sitting at his desk. "I have a job for you and Chris. I want you to go down to the weapons locker and organize our weapons. I don't know when we'll be called out, but when we do I want everything ready. Get down there and get to work."

"Yes Captain." Jill said. She got up and headed for the door. Chris got up and left as well.

Chris stacked several cases of shotgun shells on one of the shelves. Jill was on the other side of the room organizing the combat uniforms. "So just how close are you and Rebecca?" Jill asked out of the blue.

Chris was caught off guard. "What?"

"How close are you and Rebecca?" Jill asked again.

"We're friends." Chris said. "Nothing more."

"That's not what I heard." Jill said. "If you ever have any doubts or need someone to talk to I'll be there." She said in a mocking tone.

Chris realized what Jill was referring to. "You heard us talking?"

Jill nodded. "Yeah, I did. From what I heard you two seemed pretty damn close."

"Whoa Jill, I don't know when you came in, but it wasn't what you think." Chris said. "Becky was having some doubts about being in the S.T.A.R.S. She wasn't sure of herself and I gave her some encouragement. You would have done the same thing if she ran into you. If this is about what you heard, you misunderstood."

"This isn't about what I heard." Jill said. "It's about the last couple of weeks. Ever since Rebecca came you two have constantly flirted with each other."

"What do you mean flirt?" Chris asked. "I never did such a thing."

Jill pointed out the door. "What about those looks you give each other in the office?"

"So?" Chris replied. "She smiled at me and I smile back. I don't mean anything. As far as I'm concerned we're just friends."

"Just friends." Jill said. "Yeah right."

Chris saw where Jill was going with this. "You think I'm going to ditch you and get together with her." Chris began to laugh.

"I don't think this is funny." Jill said, her anger building.

Chris continued to laugh. "That's ridiculous. I would never do that. I can't believe you would think that I would."

"Then why do you act so differently around her?" Jill asked. "Why are you so close?"

"Cause she's like a sister to me." Chris replied. "She reminds me of Claire when she was younger. Besides, Rebecca looks up to me. Hell, I think she may have a little crush on me."

Jill put her hands on her hips. "A little crush?"

"Haven't you ever had one?" Chris asked.

Jill turned around and stared at the shelves. "You think this is so funny, don't you? Well I don't."

Chris saw how serious Jill was taking this discussion. "Look Jill, I'm sorry." He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "You know that you're the only one for me. Becky is just a close friend, just like Barry and Forest. You should have told me that you were having these doubts."

Jill stared at the ground. "I didn't want to say anything because I thought that I'd sound silly. Now look where it got me." She turned around and looked Chris in the eye. "I've never been this jealous my whole life."

"You don't have to be." Chris said. "I would never do anything to hurt you. I'm not going to dump you for anyone else. I promise."

"And what about Becky?" Jill asked.

"If she comes out and tells me that she has feelings for me, I'll tell her about us." Chris said. "There is nothing between Rebecca and me, I swear."

Jill managed a smile. "I guess I shouldn't have lashed out at you like this."

"I'm glad you did." Chris said. "I had no idea how you felt. At least now I know."

They gently kissed and held each other.

  
Present.

"That was the first fight we ever had." Jill said.

"At least we worked through it." Chris said.

Jill rubbed her forehead. "I shouldn't have overreacted like that. I should have just talked to you about it."

"No, I deserved that." Chris said. "I should have figured it out myself."

"You know, I thought things couldn't have gotten worse than that." Jill said. "Boy was I wrong."

Chris took a deep breath. "You mean the Spencer Mansion."

Jill nodded. "I thought I wasn't going to make it. I thought neither of us would."

Chris sighed. "I can't count the number of times I also died."

"When Wesker threw me in that cell I thought I was as good as dead." Jill said. "But you came a rescued me."

"I had to Jill." Chris said. "I wasn't about to loose you. My only thought was to get that key and get you out of there."

"And I knew you would come back for me." Jill said. "Sad thing was that that night was only the beginning."

Author's Comments: With this chapter the story is going into its dramatic phase. Expect a more serious tone for the next couple of chapters. Anyway, we saw in this chapter how Rebecca's arrival impacted Chris and Jill's relationship. We also saw the brother/sister type relationship between Rebecca and Chris. Also, our happy couple had their first fight. But like all strong couples they managed to pull through. On a side note Rebecca's arrival is an educated guess. According to the official timeline Rebecca's arrival is said to be in May, but no exact date is given. I also timed the time period to include the first murder that occurred in Raccoon City. Now on with the story.

In the next chapter we fast-forward to after the Spencer Mansion and elaborate on what happened afterwards. From the morning after to the confrontation with Irons the drama doesn't let up. Find out what happens in Story Of Us: Chapter 5- After Spencer Mansion.


	5. After Spencer Mansion

            Disclaimer: Resident Evil is property of Capcom. This story is my property.

            Side Notes: This story takes place several years after Umbrella's fall. Dates in reference to the RE timeline are guessed on. Background information for main characters is a cross between the games and the S. D. Perry novels.

Story Of Us 

By: Striker

Chapter 5- After Spencer Mansion.

Present.

"Sometimes I can't believe that we made it our of that house." Jill said,

"Tell me about it." Chris replied. "I'm still scared of snakes and spiders. I can't believe that Wesker set us up. He was the last person I would have suspected of screwing us."

"Just think, if Brad hadn't of left us in that field we never would have found out about Umbrella." Jill said. "Good thing he kept flying around the area."

"If it wasn't for him dropping that rocket launcher that Tyrant would have ripped us apart." Chris said. "I still remember the ride back to the station. We were so exhausted…"

  
Raccoon City. July 24, 1998.

Chris let his breath out slowly. His white shirt was stained with dirt and blood. His whole right side ached from the blow he had received from the Tyrant. He peeled off his gloves and tossed them to the floor. Jill sat next to him. Her beret lay next to her on the seat. She had removed it shortly after she had gotten on the copter. Her long hair now lay over her shoulders. She had also removed her gloves. The only thing she had kept on was her shoulder pads. Slowly she placed her right hand on Chris' leg. He in turn placed his left on top of her hand and gently squeezed. They gave each other a warm smile. Jill leaned against Chris and stared at the floor. Chris turned to the other two occupants. Rebecca was stretched out on the seat, her head resting on her hands. Barry was busy checking his magnum, a glum look on his face. Chris then turned to the open door. The sky was beginning to light up as dawn approached. Chris had no idea what time it was. All he knew was it was nine pm. when Alpha team had left the RPD. His thoughts drifted back to what had just happened a few moments ago. He was brought back to reality by Brad's voice.

"What the hell happened?" Brad asked. "And what the hell was that thing you were fighting? That thing just busted right out of the ground."

"You don't want to know." Chris replied.

"Well where are the others?" Brad asked. "Did you find Bravo team?"

Jill closed her eyes. "The others are dead. We're the only ones that made it."

Brad couldn't believe what he heard. "We're the only survivors? Holy shit. What are we going to do?"

"I don't know." Barry said. "All I know is that we have to start an investigation of Umbrella and find out if they have any more labs in the city."

"Why do you guys want to investigate Umbrella?" Brad asked.

"Because they're the ones responsible for everything." Chris said.

Brad turned back to the front. "Well get ready. We're almost back to the station. Shit, how are we going to explain this to the chief?"

Barry dug into his pocket and removed a picture of his wife and daughters. He sighed as he stared at it.

"Your family?" Jill asked.

Barry nodded. "They always wait up for me whenever I go on a mission. Just this morning my oldest daughter… Look, I'm sorry for what I did to you."

"Don't be." Jill said. "I'm sure they're still alive."

"Wesker told me he was bluffing." Chris said. "I hope he burns in hell for what he did."

"Are you sure he's dead?" Jill asked.

Chris nodded. "I saw that Tyrant impale him with my own eyes. I doubt he survived that."

Rebecca woke and sat up. She stretched and yawned. "Are we back at the police station yet?"

"Almost." Jill said.

"Tired Becky?" Chris asked.

Rebecca smiled meekly. "Sorry for dozing off guys."

"It's OK." Chris replied. "You deserve some rest. You did a good job Becky. It's just that this case was so weird."

Rebecca noticed Chris and Jill holding hands. "Hey, I didn't know you two were together?"

Jill remembered that she was still holding Chris' hand. "Yeah, we kind of are."

"I can see why you wanted to get Jill out of that cell so badly." Barry said.

Chris was about to speak when Brad cut him off. "We're landing now."

The copter landed on the helipad with a thud. Brad cut the engines and hopped out of the cockpit. The others climbed out of the back and started for the door. Jill dumped her shoulder pads and took her beret from the copter. The halls were mostly empty. Those who were at the station lined the halls and watched the S.T.A.R.S. pass. They reached the parking lot and began to splinter off.

"Hey Becky, need a lift home?" Brad asked.

"Sure." Rebecca replied. She and Brad got into his car and drove off.

"I got to get back and check on my family." Barry said. He rushed off to his car and sped off.

Jill looked around for her car, but didn't find it. "Damn, I forgot, I got a lift from Joseph."

"I'll drive you home." Chris said. He pointed to his car. It was a tan Chevy that he had gotten used from a local car dealership the last fall. It was slightly beat up, but still ran. Jill nodded and got into the passenger side. Chris climbed behind the wheel and started the engine. Soon they were driving towards Jill's house. 

Chris pulled up into the driveway of Jill's place and got out. He walked around and opened the car door for Jill. They both then walked up to her house. It was a nice two-story, two-bedroom red house. Jill unlocked the front door and walked inside, Chris following behind. Jill hung her beret on a nearby coat rack. "Finally, I'm home."

Chris turned and started for the door. "I'll see you later. I got to get home and go to bed." 

Jill grabbed his arm and tugged. "Don't go. I need you to stay here with me."

Chris looked at Jill's face. From her look and her mental state she wasn't in any condition to be left alone. "OK, I will."

"Thank you." Jill said. She walked over to her couch and sat down. Chris sat down next to her. "I'm just afraid that that Tyrant creature or something else will come after me."

"Everything in that mansion died when it blew up." Chris said. "As for that Tyrant, I nailed it right in the chest with a rocket. There's no way it could have survived getting blasted into a million pieces."

"You're right." Jill said. She moved closer to Chris. "Just hold me."

Chris slid his arms around Jill and held her tightly. After ten minutes she fell asleep. Chris looked down and smiled. She looked so beautiful sleeping in his arms. He gave her a kiss on her forehead and drifted off to sleep himself.

When Chris opened his eyes the sun was high in the sky. Rays of light shone through the windows. Chris looked at the clock on the VCR. It read three thirty-eight pm. He looked down at Jill, who was still asleep. He gently got off of the couch, beginning careful not to wake his girlfriend. He then laid her down on a pillow and lifted her legs onto the couch. He then made his way to the bathroom. He splashed water on his face and looked at his reflection. "God, you are one lucky son of a bitch." He said to himself.

"That makes two of us." Jill said as she groggily walked into the bathroom. "What time is it?"

"Almost quarter to four." Chris replied. "We both slept the whole morning."

Jill leaned on the sink. "How could this happen? Why did this happen? Why did are friends have to die?"

"I don't know." Chris said. "All I do know is that we have to do something. Only thing is I don't know what."

  
Present.

"You stayed with me that whole time." Jill said. "I'm grateful that you did that."

Chris smiled. "To be honest I really didn't feel like being alone myself. After that night I can't begin to count the nightmares I had."

"None of us were the same after that night." Jill said. "I don't think any of us came to work the rest of the week. Then with Brad disappearing and the way you started acting things seemed like they were getting worse."

"Irons wasn't exactly helping." Chris said. "Him not believing us combined with the lack of evidence started to get to me."

Jill nodded. "Tell me about it. You avoided everyone and your behavior changed completely. I remember when you punched that one boy for spilling coffee on you. Then the look you gave me when I stopped you from killing him freaked me out."

"It must have been the stress." Chris said. "That and what I found out about Umbrella."

"I remember when you called me over to your apartment." Jill said. "It was during your little vacation. You should have told us what you were doing."

"I didn't want to put you or the others in danger." Chris said. "But I did appreciate you and Barry helping me."

"Too bad we couldn't get Irons to do anything." Jill said. "I remember what that bastard…"

  
Raccoon City. August 22, 1998.

Chris slammed his hand on Irons' desk. "Who many times do you need us to tell you the same story?" He, Jill, Barry, and Rebecca were gathered in Chief Brian Irons' office. Together Chris, Jill, and Barry had uncovered evidence against Umbrella. Now they were trying on last time to open an investigation. "Like we told you, Umbrella had a lab underneath the Spencer Mansion. They made a virus that turned people into zombies. They also made some other creatures. We were lured into that house to test those monsters out. Everyone in Bravo and most in Alpha were killed by those creatures. The place had some sort of self-destruct system that got activated and we got out before the mansion blew."

Irons looked at the S.T.A.R.S. team. "What your reports are stating sounds like the rantings of mentally troubled people."

Chris took a drag from his cigarette. "We all have had our psych evaluations. We know what the doctor said. But I'll tell you this, all the shrinks in the world won't convince us that what we went through didn't happen or wasn't real."

"Look, without evidence you can't launch an investigation." Irons said. "It's as simple as that."

"But we have evidence." Barry said. "We did some digging and found out that Umbrella may have other facilities in this city. We also have evidence that Umbrella is also making a new virus." 

"What we found proves that Umbrella is guilty of producing biological weapons." Jill said.

"This evidence you have is all circumstantial." Irons said. "As for guilt, the only ones I see guilty are you. From what I see you are guilty of gross misconduct of a case that led to the deaths of most of your team, including your Captain."

"But Wesker betrayed us." Rebecca said. "He was working for Umbrella the whole time."

Irons held his head in his hand and sighed. "I'm getting tired of this. For the final time you will not open an investigation on Umbrella. This case is over. As for all of you I am putting you on suspension pending a hearing for the charges of gross misconduct."

Chris took another drag and glared at Irons. "So that's it? You're just going to ignore our reports and blame us for everything? Well you can take your charges and shove it." Chris took out his S.T.A.R.S. badge and slammed it on the desk. "I quit." He turned and started for the door.

"Then goodbye Redfield." Irons said. "I never did like you."

Barry slammed his badge down next to Chris'. "So do I."

Rebecca followed, tossing her badge next to the other two. "I'm with them."

Barry and Rebecca followed Chris. Before they left Chris left he turned and looked back at Irons. "I never liked you either." Chris dropped his cigarette on Irons' prized rug and stepped on the butt. He then rubbed the butt into the rug.

Irons seethed as he glared at Chris. He then turned to Jill. "Are you going to follow them or do the sensible thing and stay." He then gave her a sly grin. "As for the charges against you I'm sure we can work something out, say over dinner?"

Jill slammed her badge down just as hard as Chris did. "You know, I used to think you had some shred of decency in you. Now I know better. I'm out up with your harassment long enough. I quit." Jill turned and walked over to her friends. When she got to Chris she stepped on the butt and rubbed it in some more. "Let's go." The team left Irons' office for the last time.

"So much for a two week notice." Barry said. "So what are we going to do now?" The team was assembled in the S.T.A.R.S. office.

Jill looked at the manila folder in her hands. "We have to do something. We just can't let Umbrella get away with what they've done."

"Seeing in how we're no longer in the Raccoon police force we don't have a lot of options." Rebecca said.

Chris sat at his desk and thought. "The only thing I can think of in to go to Europe and go to Umbrella's main headquarters in Paris. Thing is how we are going to do it."

"I can't leave my family here." Barry said.

"And my parents may be in danger too." Rebecca said.

"Look, he's what we can do." Chris said. "Jill and I will go to Europe and get settled there. Barry, take your family and moved them somewhere safe. After that I want you to meet us in Europe. Rebecca, do the same with your parents. If you feel like it, join Barry and go with him. If not we'll all understand. We have to stop Umbrella, we're the only ones who know what that company is doing."

"There's one problem." Jill said. "Umbrella has facilities in this town. Someone has to stay behind and investigate them. There have also been strange things going on around the city. They may be associated with Umbrella."

"Then who's going to stay?" Barry asked.

"I will." Jill said.

Chris turned to her. "Why you?"

Jill tried to avoid Chris' eyes. "Look, Barry and Rebecca have to get their families out of here. That leaves you and me. I think it'll be better if I stay behind. In a few months I'll join you guys in Paris."

"I don't think you should stay here by yourself." Chris said.

Jill looked up at Chris. "It's the best thing to do."

Chris looked at Barry and Rebecca. They seemed to agree with Jill. "Fine, by after two months I want you in Europe. We better get ready. The sooner we leave the better."

  
Present.

"That wasn't the easiest decision I've ever made." Chris said.

"Judging from what happen I should have gone with you." Jill said. "It would have saved us a lot of pain."

"Funny thing is Irons had listened to us we wouldn't of had to split up." Chris said.

"It was his job to stop us from investigating Umbrella." Jill said. "Leon and Claire told us that he was on the take to keep us quiet. There was nothing that we could have done."

Chris closed his eyes. "It wasn't easy leaving you. It was the hardest thing I've ever done."

Jill nodded. "It was two days later. I still remember how hard…"

  
Raccoon City. August 24, 1998.

Chris shouldered his bag and took one last look around his apartment. He took a deep breath and headed for the door. He found Jill waiting outside for him. Barry and Rebecca had already left with their families. After he left Jill would be the only one remaining. "Well, I guess this is goodbye for now."

Jill fought back the tears. "I wish I didn't have to stay. I wish I could go with you."

"Listen, I want you to take care of yourself." Chris said, also trying to fight back the tears. "In two months you'll join us, right?"

"I will." Jill replied. "I promise."

Chris set down his bag. "I'll call and tell you where we can met."

Jill couldn't hold back any more. She crashed into Chris and began to cry. "I'm going to miss you." She sobbed.

Chris returned the hug and felt tears roll down his face. "I will see you again Jill. No matter what happens we will be together." He pulled back and looked into Jill's sad, blue eyes. "Once we do we'll put an end to Umbrella. Then nothing will bother us again."

"I won't stop thinking about you until we're together." Jill said. "I'll be looking forward to us being together again."

The couple kissed for what seemed like a lifetime. Chris broke the kiss and picked up his bag. Jill watched as he walked down the hall and descended the stairs. After he was gone Jill sat against the wall and cried. Chris exited the apartment building and looked back on last time. He threw his bag into the back seat, got in the car, and drove off to the airport.

  
Present.

"I cried for an hour before I left that apartment." Jill said.

"So did I on the way to the airport." Chris said. "I was even tempted to turn around several times."

"Being with you again was one of the things that kept me going during that outbreak in Raccoon City." Jill said. "After I escaped with Carlos and Barry I began looking for you. When I got to your hideout and saw your knife all that blood I was scared. Carlos thought you were dead, but I still had hope that you were still alive."

"I had two people on my mind." Chris said. "You and my sister. After I rescued her from Antarctica I started looking for you. I never gave up hope that you were still alive."

"At least we were reunited." Jill said. "And it was the happiest day of my life.

Author's Comments: And so it happened. Chris and Jill were separated in order to battle Umbrella. Thus the stage was set for the events of Resident Evil 2, 3, and CV. We saw the fateful meeting with Irons that led to the remaining S.T.A.R.S. to resign. We also see what happened on the helicopter ride back to the RPD. For the copter ride I combined all the endings in the game to form what I believe would have been the eight ending to the game. Funny how the best endings either have Chris, Jill, and Barry or Chris, Jill, and Rebecca surviving. In my opinion Capcom should have made an eight ending having all four get out. With the scene in Irons' office, I made a guess that Chris, Barry, and Rebecca quit. According to RE 3 Jill does quit, but it doesn't say when. Just another example of artistic license at work. Finally, this is one of the most dramatic chapters in the story. There will be others, but this one was a biggie. Now on with the next chapter.

In the next installment Chris and Jill get reunited in an emotional meeting. Also, the entire team will also get together in a mission to destroy Umbrella. Witness the event in Story Of Us: Chapter 6- Reunion.


	6. Reunion

            Disclaimer: Resident Evil is property of Capcom. This story is my property.

            Side Notes: This story takes place several years after Umbrella's fall. Dates in reference to the RE timeline are guessed on. Background information for main characters is a cross between the games and the S. D. Perry novels.

Story Of Us 

By: Striker

Chapter 6- Reunion.

Present.

"I was so nervous that day we got back together." Chris said. "My sister said it looked like I was going to have a heart attack."

"I couldn't wait to see you." Jill said. "Barry threatened to make me walk if I didn't get a hold of myself."

Chris took a bite of his meal. "As soon as Claire and I hooked up with Leon I immediately got in contact with Barry. It was luck that we were both in the U.S."

"We thought you were still somewhere in Europe." Jill said. "Carlos and I had just gotten back from Spain. I was so happy when Barry gave me the news."

"That day was hectic." Chris said. "I was going nuts and Claire…"

  
Twenty miles outside of Springfield, Illinois. March 19, 1999.

Chris walked the length of the living room. He then sat down on the couch, but then got back up and paced again.

"Settle down Chris." Claire said. "You're making Sherry nervous."

"He's making us all nervous." Ark said.

Yeah, someone get him some valium." Leon added.

Claire shot a mean glance at both men, who were standing in the doorway to the kitchen. Claire herself was standing in the front door waiting for Barry's van to pull up. It had been a week since she and her brother had contacted Leon and arrived in the U.S. She had been reunited with Sherry and had net Leon's friend Ark. Ark seemed like a nice guy though he could be act like a fool, especially if he was around Leon. She had also met Lott and Lily. She had learned about how their parents were killed on Sheena Island. Soon after Chris had tried to get a hold of Barry. He did and learned that Jill, Rebecca, and some guy named Carlos were all in the U.S. A meeting had been set and ever since then Chris had gone into a sort of manic mode. Claire couldn't blame him. He had told her about his relationship with Jill. She had ignored it so far, but now his behavior was getting to her.

"Are we going to like these people?" Sherry asked. She and the other two children were perched on the stairs watching Chris.

Chris turned to Sherry. "I'm sure you will. I don't know about Carlos but the other three are really nice. I've worked with them for a while. I'm sure you'll get along great with them."

"So who exactly is this Jill chick…? Ouch!" Ark felt Leon elbow him sharply in the ribs. "Why did you do that?" Ark asked, holding his side.

"That is a very sensitive subject around Chris." Leon replied through clenched teeth.

"Well I just want to…" Ark saw the evil look Claire was giving him. "No I don't."

"Well said." Claire said. She then turned to her brother, who was staring out the window. "Will you please calm down?"

"I just wish they would get here already." Chris said.

"It's not like Canada is down the street." Ark said.

Leon nodded. "Yeah, they have to go through New York and Pennsylvania and then…" Leon saw both Chris and Claire glaring at him. "We'll stop talking now."

Jill rapped on the dashboard as she stared out the window. Though Barry had ignored it for some time the sound was becoming maddening. "Jill, you've been doing that for the past three hours. It's starting to drive me insane."

Jill turned to Barry. "What is?"

"Your drumming on the dash." Barry replied. "Can you please stop it?"

"Ever since we entered Illinois you've been acting weird." Carlos said. He and Rebecca were in the back of the van. "Another hour and we'll be there. Right Barry?"

Barry nodded. "So just relax."

"I can't relax." Jill said. "It's been so long. I promised Chris that I would join him in two months. That was over six months ago." Jill thought back to the events of the previous months. After she had escaped with Carlos from Raccoon she had begun searching for Chris. Barry had stayed behind with his family while Carlos had accompanied her. She had found Chris' hideout and state it was in. Even though Carlos had some doubt that Chris was still alive she never gave up hope. It was also during this time that she had told Carlos about her relationship with Chris. After a few months they had returned to the States. By then Rebecca had arrived at Barry's house. She had gotten a little sidetracked and could have arrived sooner. A few days ago Barry had received a call from Chris. They had set up a meeting at the place Chris and his friends were staying at. Now she was getting jumpy just thinking about seeing Chris again.

"How could you have known that the T-virus was going to infect the city?" Rebecca asked. "What happened was out of your control."

"That's right Jill." Carlos said. "And if it wasn't for Barry we wouldn't even be here now."

"It was nothing." Barry said. "I thought it would be a good idea to stay behind in case Jill ran into trouble. Too bad I lost contact with Chris after I rescued you two."

Jill stared out the window again. "At least Chris called us. It'll be so good to be with him again. I missed him so much."

Barry saw the sign for Springfield pass by. "Don't worry, you will soon."

Chris sat on the front steps of the cabin. Claire had finally managed to get him to calm down. Claire sat on the porch swing next to Leon. Ark was leaning against the railing. He looked at his watch. "It's four o'clock. What time did they say they would be here?"

"Sometime between now and five." Claire said. "Barry said that it all depended on the traffic."

Sherry, Lott, and Lily were playing out in front of the house when Sherry heard the sound of a vehicle approaching. "Someone's coming." She said, running up to the porch.

Chris picked his head up and stared through the trees. Soon he saw the shape of a van moving through the trees. "It's them." He said, standing up.

Claire walked up next to him. "Are you OK?"

"I will be soon." Chris replied.

Carlos could see the cabin through the trees. "Nice place."

Jill wasn't paying attention to the cabin. She was scanning the place for any sign of Chris. She spotted him on the steps. "There he is."

"You need Becky to give you something to calm you down?" Barry asked.

Jill shook her head. "No, I don't." Barry stopped the van and Jill gripped the door handle. "It's now or never." She told herself.

Chris began walking towards the van as Jill got out. Chris quickened his pace as he neared her. Jill shut the door and sprinted towards Chris. The two met in a strong embrace. They both looked into each other's eyes before moving into a long, passionate kiss. After a few minutes they broke the kiss and held each other.

"I missed you so much." Jill said, tears streaking down her face.

"So did I." Chris said, letting tears fall down his face.

Barry, Carlos, and Rebecca watched from the van. Barry smiled at the scene. "It's moments like these that make it all worth it."

"You're right Barry." Carlos said.

Rebecca began to tear up. "They look so happy together. Just like in those fairy tales my mom used to tell me."

"It sure is Becky." Barry said.

"Damn." Ark said. He and the others were watching from the porch.

"It's so beautiful." Claire said. "Just like those movies I used to watch in college."

"Man, now I can see why Chris was so anxious to see that woman." Leon said. "Should we go introduce ourselves?"

Claire shook her head. "We should leave them alone. They deserve some time alone."

Chris held Jill tight, happy to have her in his arms again. "Jill, I should never have left you. I promise I'll never leave you again as long as I live."

"I'll never leave you either." Jill said. "No matter what happens."

Chris pulled back stroked Jill's face. "Ready to go inside?"

Jill nodded and leaned against Chris. Still holding each other the walked up to the cabin. Claire and the other let them pass. Soon the rest of the group entered the cabin.

Chris and Jill stayed next to each other as the team introduced themselves. They stayed close the entire evening. Soon it was time to turn in for the night. Barry began to head upstairs. He stopped and turned to the young couple. "Are you two coming up?"

Chris shook his head. "We're going to stay down here a little longer."

"OK." Barry said. "Don't stay up too late."

When Barry was gone Jill turned to Chris. "I knew that we would be together again. I never gave up hope."

"Neither did I." Chris said. "I was so relieved when Barry told me you were alive. I was afraid that you died in Raccoon."

"I almost did." Jill said. "But I knew that I had to survive. I knew that I couldn't give up. Your memory kept me going."

"I've been waiting for this day for so long." Chris said. "Now we're back together and nothing will take us apart, I swear." He gently kissed Jill and held her close.

"I love you Chris." Jill said softly, curling up next to him and closing her eyes.

"I love you too." Chris replied.

A few hours later Claire came downstairs to get a drink of water. She saw her brother and Jill asleep on the couch. Smiling she went upstairs a retrieved a quilt from the hall closet. She then came back down and covered up the sleeping lovers. She then got her drink and went back upstairs.

  
Present.

"You never let go of my the whole day." Jill said. "Not even went we were asleep."

"I can still remember the next morning." Chris said. "We woke up to everyone staring at us. It was embarrassing."

Jill giggled. "I can't believe that Ark asked us if we wanted to be alone."

"And what about Claire?" Chris asked. "I thought she was going to kill him for that."

"Then came Umbrella." Jill said. "That was an awful experience."

Chris nodded. "I still have bad dreams about fighting Umbrella's monsters."

"At least we fought together." Jill said.

"We sure did." Chris said.

Author's Comments: That was a short chapter. At least the happy couple was reunited. OK, if you haven't noticed this story takes place in two time periods. The first is pre-Umbrella's fall. That portion we have just seen. The second period is post-Umbrella's fall. That portion will begin in the next chapter. We are now halfway done with this story. There are still six more chapters to go and then that's that. Anyway, with this meeting this is one of many ideas that I have as to how the group gets back together. We see that both Chris and Jill were antsy about seeing each other after so long. We also see what happened between the games and this point in time. In the end it all came down to a tearful and happy reunion.

In the next chapter a momentous occasion has happened. Ding, dong, Umbrella's dead. Now what are the heroes going to do now that Umbrella is no more? You'll have to wait and see. Join the party in Story Of Us: Chapter 7- Umbrella Is Gone. Finally.


	7. Umbrella Is Gone

            Disclaimer: Resident Evil is property of Capcom. This story is my property.

            Side Notes: This story takes place several years after Umbrella's fall. Dates in reference to the RE timeline are guessed on. Background information for main characters is a cross between the games and the S. D. Perry novels.

Story Of Us 

By: Striker

Chapter 7- Umbrella Is Gone

Present.

"Remember the party we threw after we brought down Umbrella?" Chris asked, grinning.

"I think I'm one of the only ones who can." Jill replied. "That was wild. There must have been forty to fifty people there, and most of them were wasted."

"What about Becky?" Chris asked. "That was the first time she had a drink."

Jill held up two fingers. "Second time. First time was the month before when she turned twenty-one. The guys decided that it would be a good idea to take her drinking. You would think that spending a half hour puking into a toilet would deter someone from drinking ever again."

"She still did." Chris said. "Man, she sure got tipsy."

"She ended up passing out." Jill said. "As for the others, they were getting smashed as well. Claire and Leon couldn't keep their hands off each other. The only people I could remember not getting drunk were Barry, you, and me. How did you manage to stay somewhat sober?"

Chris chuckled to himself. "During my time in the Air Force I've come to learn that the military teaches you two thinks, how to fight, and how to hold your liquor. I've been in so many drinking games that I believe that I will never get drunk again. Besides, I wasn't drinking much that night."

"I guess that's what made what happened later that night so much more special." Jill said.

  
Ashwood, Kentucky. May 14, 2002.

"Here's to doing what so many said couldn't be done." Barry roared.

The others in the packed bar raised their glasses in the air. "HERE, HERE!" They shouted back. Soon the party was downing their drinks and setting or slamming the glasses onto the tables they were sitting at. The group had reserved the entire bar so they could throw a celebration party over the fall of Umbrella. Three years and a small army later they had managed to bring down the heads of Umbrella and expose the company's dark secrets. It had been a few weeks after the final assault. Chris and his small group sat at a corner table enjoying their victory. All around them their allies were busy drinking, dancing, and swapping stories. Some of the people were friends of the crew like Valerie and Tracy. Jill had persuaded them to leave Raccoon City shortly after she had returned from Spencer Mansion. She soon contacted them shortly after she had reunited with Chris, Claire, and the others. Both Valerie and Tracy were thrilled over the fact that Chris and Jill were together. Some of the other people were former teammates of Chris, Barry, Leon, Ark, and Carlos. The rest were people who the survivors ran across during their battles and who later joined. During most of the battle against Umbrella the group was split into smaller teams in order to hit Umbrella at multiple places at once. They had however joined together for the final raid on Umbrella's HQ in Paris. During the fight several members lost their lives. The group had seen to it personally that a small monument be built to honor those that died. Now everyone looked forward to his or her new lives.

"Here's to the people who kicked Umbrella's ass." Carlos said, holding up his empty glass.

Ark tapped him on the shoulder. "Hey buddy, your glass is empty."

Carlos stared down into the empty glass. "That can be fixed." He reached for a half-empty beer bottle.

Barry grabbed the bottle and moved it out of Carlos' reach. "Oh no pal. I think you've had enough."

"I'll have enough when I say I've had enough." Carlos replied with a glossed-over expression.

Rebecca giggled at Carlos' face. "You look funny." The bottle soon caught her eye. "I think I'll have some more beer."

This time Jill was the one who yanked the bottle from Rebecca's grasp. "Sorry kid, I think it's time to cut you off."

"I'm not a kid, I'm a grown woman." Rebecca said, pointing at Jill. "I'm twenty-one and I can drink as much as I want."

Chris chuckled at the scene. "Let her finish the bottle Jill. This is a party after all."

"Do you want her to start acting like those two?" Jill asked, pointing to Claire and Leon.

Chris stared at the young couple, which were giggling and pawing at each other. "You're right, I better finish the bottle." Chris took the bottle and poured the contents into his glass.

Meanwhile, Rebecca had turned her attention to Claire and Leon and started to giggle again. "You two look so cute."

Ark leaned over to Carlos. "A think we may have to get the hose soon."

Leon turned to Ark. "Shut up. Claire and I are thinking about blowing this place and having our own little party."

"That's more information than we needed to know." Barry said. He turned to Chris and Jill. "Here's to the people who are still sober. Chances are we may be the only one's who remember tonight."

"Sad this is you may be right." Chris said.

"I still can't believe that it's finally over." Jill said. "Just think, we won't have to deal with Umbrella anymore."

Claire pulled her gaze away from Leon and looked around the table. "Remember the look on Mr. Umbrella's face when we came waltzing into his office a pointed our guns at him?"

"How can I forget?" Jill replied. She cleared her throat and began to talk in a deep, gruff voice. "What do you fools think gives you the right to destroy my company."

"What are we going to do now?" Carlos asked.

"I'll tell you this," Leon said, pretending to fire a gun at each of his friends, "things sure are going to be boring without zombies to blast."

"I wouldn't say your life is going to be boring with me around." Claire replied, kissing Leon on the neck.

"We are going to have to get the hose." Ark said.

Both Claire and Leon turned to Ark. "Shut up."

Chris rapped on the table and called his friends to attention. "I don't know about you guys but I plan on putting this whole thing behind me and starting over again. We can now start thinking about our futures. For the past couple of years we've had to live our lives one day at a time. For all we knew any of us could have died at any moment. Now that Umbrella is finished we can finally stop running. We have the chance to settle down and live a normal life. As far as I'm concerned we can do whatever the hell we want and no one can stop us. We have our lives back, now I think we deserve to live them.

After a couple of hours the numbers began to thin as people started to leave. Chris looked at his watch and found it to be near midnight. He looked around the table at his friends. Jill and Barry were still coherent. Ark and Carlos looked like they were ready to drop. Rebecca was already gone, slumped over the table. Claire and Leon were still making eyes at each other. Chris stood up and began to put on his jacket. "Hey guys, it's getting late. I'm going to turn in for the night."

"I'll go too." Jill said. "This party is almost over."

Chris nudged his sister. "You want me to give you and Leon a lift to the hotel?"

"Surrre thing." Claire replied, her speech already beginning to slur.

"How's Becky?" Jill asked Carlos.

Carlos lifted Rebecca's head off the table. She had a glassy look on her face. "I think she's done." Carlos said, setting Rebecca's head back down.

"Don't worry." Barry said. "I'll give them all a lift back to the hotel. You guys go on ahead."

Chris nodded and began to guide his sister to the door. Jill did the same with Leon. The group said their goodbyes and left the bar. 

The ride back to the hotel was interesting. Claire and Leon were in the back seat beginning to make out. Jill sat in the front seat and continued to turn around to try and separate the others. Chris was behind the wheel, trying to keep his focus on the road and not what was going on in the backseat. As soon as they pulled up to the Holiday Inn Claire and Leon shot out of the car and ran to their room. Chris and Jill followed casually behind. When Chris got to his room he unlocked his door. "You want to come in for a little bit?" He asked Jill.

"Sure." She replied.

Jill entered the room, closing the door behind her. Chris took off his jacket and tossed it on the chair in the corner of the hotel room. He then turned on the TV and sat down on the edge of his bed. Jill sat down next to him and leaned against him. Chris turned to his girlfriend and smiled. "Well, it's all over. I feel like I got a second chance to start over again."

"So do I." Jill said. She snatched the remote from Chris and turned off the TV. "Why don't we find something else more entertaining to do?" Jill said, trying to act like she was drunk.

"You do a really poor job of pretending to be drunk." Chris said. "You should at least try to slur your words."

"I'll remember that next time." Jill said.

"So what are you going to do?" Chris asked.

Jill thought for a moment. "Well, I figure that I can find some work in Charlotte but I'm thinking about moving out to the country. I've lived in the city my entire life. I think it's time for a chance in scenery."

"I managed to get a place near my hometown." Chris said. "I am originally from North Carolina you know. Little town called Monroe."

"I wondered why you and your sister wanted to move here." Jill said.

"I still remember the times my parents took us to the beach." Chris said. "That was before the accident. Next thing I know we're sent off to some hellhole. It feels so go to be back home again."

"Speaking of your sister," Jill said, "by now she and Leon will probably ripped each others clothes off and are going at it right now."

Chris shut his eyes and cringed. "Please don't say things like that. I'm going to have nightmares now."

Jill giggled to herself. "You can face a whole army of zombies and a couple of Tyrants, but you can't talk about your sister's sex life."

Chris gave Jill a blank stare. "How many guys do you know who talk about their sister's sex life?"

"I see your point." Jill replied. She looked down at the carpet and wrestled with the question she was about to ask. "Uh Chris, we've been together for four or five years and through that whole time we haven't been, umm, intimate, have we?"

Chris looked awkwardly at Jill and slowly shook his head. "No we haven't. I thought we were waiting for the right time, like after we got married or something. Why are you asking me this?"

"Because, uh, I was, uh." Jill struggled to find the right words. "I was wondering if you wanted to, you know, do it?"

"Do what?" Chris asked.

"It." Jill replied.

Chris thought for a moment before it hit him. "Are you sure you want to?" He asked hesitantly.

Jill nodded. "I've been thinking about this for the last couple of days. Like you said, we've been waiting for the perfect moment. Well I think this qualifies. We finally beat Umbrella. This is the first night of our new lives. I just thought that we should do something special."

"I guess that would be special." Chris said. He stood up as Jill ran over a turned off the lights. The only light now came from the moon outside. The beams poured through the window, falling over the couple. Chris couldn't help but notice how Jill's soft blue eyes sparkled. "Just like the night we had our first kiss." Chris said.

"Guess it's the perfect night for love." Jill said. She threw her arms around Chris' neck and stared into his eyes. Chris placed his hands on her hips and pulled her close. Soon their lips met as they both settled into a warm kiss. Chris grabbed the bottom of Jill's shirt and began to lift it up. Jill raised her arms and broke the kiss as Chris pulled the shirt over her head and tossed it to the side. Jill pulled Chris' shirt off next and tossed it on top of her shirt. The two began to kiss again as Chris' hands found their way to the clasp of Jill's bra. In one quick motion he unclipped the back and let it go. Jill quickly removed the bra and tossed it behind her. They held each other in a tight embrace as they laid down on the bed.

The rays of the early morning sun shone through the window. Chris opened his eyes and smiled at the sight before him. Jill was asleep on top of him, her head resting just under his chin. The previous night had been incredible. The emotion combined with the physical actions was amazing. He gently ran his fingers through her long hair and enjoyed the warmth of her body. Jill stirred and opened her eyes. She looked down at Chris and smiled. "Hey." She said softly.

"Hey." Chris replied. "How did you sleep?"

Jill giggled and laid her head back down. "Great. You know, I've been having fantasies about doing what we just did for a while now."

"So how was the real thing?" Chris asked.

"Better than I could ever hope for." Jill replied. "How about you?"

"I think I need a cigarette." Chris said, smiling.

Jill gave him a playful slap on the arm. "What time is it?"

Chris looked at the clock on the bedside table. "Around nine. Just about now our friends should be waking up with major hangovers."

"Well, I better go freshen up." Jill said. 

She started to roll off of Chris before he grabbed her. "Hey honey, why in such a rush? We have plenty of time."

"I think I've created a monster." Jill said. "Look, we can do this again when we get back home. We do have a long drive."

"Oh shit, I forgot that we agreed to leave around nine thirty." Chris said. "We don't have much time. We better get ready."

"You stay in bed." Jill said. "I'll be out of the bathroom in a few minutes. By the way, do you have anything I can wear?"

Chris pointed to his bag. "You can take one of my undershirts." He watched as Jill got out of bed and picked up her underwear. In the morning light she looked more beautiful than ever. "God you're gorgeous. How did I ever get someone like you?"

"I could ask the same question." Jill replied, putting on the undershirt. It was a little big, covering halfway down to her knees. "I'll only be a minute." Jill disappeared into the bathroom while Chris rolled onto his back and closed his eyes.

"I shouldn't have drank that much." Claire groaned, holding her forehead.

"You're right, WE shouldn't have had that much." Leon said. "I just know that Chris and Barry are going to really grill us about last night."

Claire grimaced. "I don't think that my brother will ever let me forget this. At least we didn't throw up like all the other times."

Leon stopped in front of Chris' room. "Maybe he has some aspirin. He should be up by now." He knocked on the door. When he didn't get a reply he banged on it a few more times.

"I'M COMING!" Chris hollered. The door opened and Chris stood in the doorway wearing only a pair of boxers. He looked over his friends and smiled slyly. "You two look like shit."

"Don't start with me or I will kick your ass." Claire grumbled.

Leon pushed his way inside. "Claire and I need some aspirin. Can I look in the bathroom?"

"I rather you didn't." Chris replied, getting in Leon's way.

"Why not?" Leon angrily asked.

"Hey Chris, who's here?" Jill came out of the bathroom and was greeted by the two pairs of surprised eyes. "Hi guys." Jill said, waving embarrassingly.

The shock sobered Claire up a little. She began erratically pointing between her brother and Jill. "You two, you, last night…" She finally put one and one together. "YOU TWO…"

Chris clamped his hand over his sister's mouth. "You want the whole hotel to know what happened?"

"All I can say is I knew you two would eventually do it." Leon said. "Looks like the other guys own me fifteen buck each."

"And why is that?" Jill asked.

"We had a running bet as to when you guys would sleep together." Leon replied. "The others thought you would wait until you got married or something."

Claire knocked Chris' hand away from her face. "I thought you were going to too. Guess I was mistaken."

"Hey, look who's talking." Jill said. "You two have been sleeping together for the past two years."

"Well excuse me." Claire said.

"Can we just drop this?" Chris pleaded. "We all have to pack and be out of here in less than twenty minutes. So can you two please leave?"

Leon grabbed Claire's arm and began to lead her out of the room. "Come on Claire, we better get ready." As they passed through the door Leon leaned closer to Claire. "They may what to have another quickie before we leave." He whispered.

"I heard that." Chris said. After the door closed he sat down on the edge of the bed and placed his hand on his forehead. "I can just see this now. Everyone is going to know. We'll never hear the end of this."

Jill sat down next to him. "So what. They'll find out sooner or later. Besides, I'm sure they won't bug us about this."

"I guess you're right." Chris said. "I still can't believe they had a bet."

Jill laughed and leaned against Chris. "So what's the next step? It's going to be hard driving back a forth between our places."

"Well, I do have some extra room at my place." Chris said. "Maybe you can move in with me. You said you wanted to move out to the country."

"Maybe I will." Jill said. She looked at the clock. "Think we do have time for a quickie?"

"Why don't we wait until tonight?" Chris replied. "It'll give us something to look forward too."

  
Present.

"That was a special night, wasn't it?" Chris asked.

Jill sighed. "It was everything I imagined it would be. Kind of makes me wonder why we waited for so long."

"I don't know." Chris replied.

"Remember the greeting we got when we checked out?" Jill asked.

Chris chuckled. "Claire and Leon looked so nervous. And the rest of them looked like they didn't even know. I guess those two didn't say anything."

"They were probably scared that you would kill them." Jill said. "The ride back was interesting. I found the way Claire reacted when I told her I was moving in with you amusing."

"I can still here her words of wisdom." Chris said. "Jill, I promise you after one day you'll want to move out."

"That probably came from experience." Jill said.

Chris nodded. "We had so many fights when we were living in the same house. I wasn't surprised when she moved in with Leon. Hell, she was out the door the minute he asked her."

"Well, at least it was interesting the day I moved in." Jill said.

"It sure was." Chris replied.

Author's Comments: Wasn't that special? Chris and Jill finally did it. And what about Claire and Leon's reactions? That sure was humorous. We also found out that there were a lot of people involved with bringing down Umbrella. We also found out that they had one hell of a party. And in case you're wondering if by this time Rebecca is old enough to drink, I did the math. She is. Also, I brought back Valerie and Tracy due to a question I received in one of the reviews as to what happened to them. Finally, in case anyone is wondering why I didn't go into more detail with the sex scene, the answer is that I tend not to write "lemon" fics. Besides, this is PG-13. Now on with the show.

In the next chapter Jill moves into Chris' place. Of coarse, things are bound to get hectic with this simple job. Plus, we'll also find out about one of Jill's little "hobbies." All this and more in Story Of Us: Chapter 8- Moving In.


	8. Moving In

            Disclaimer: Resident Evil is property of Capcom. This story is my property.

            Side Notes: This story takes place several years after Umbrella's fall. Dates in reference to the RE timeline are guessed on. Background information for main characters is a cross between the games and the S. D. Perry novels.

Story Of Us 

By: Striker

Chapter 8- Moving In

Present.

Chris took a sip of his wine. "I never thought that you moving into this house would be so much trouble."

"It would have been much easier if the others didn't decide to help us." Jill said. "Why did you have them come over?"

"I didn't." Chris said. "My darling sister did. She thought that we needed the help. And with how much stuff you had I'm glad they came over. How did you manage to fit all that stuff into that apartment?"

"It wasn't that much stuff." Jill said. "I only had a few things."

"I don't consider a truck full of boxes only a few things." Chris said. "I can still remember the looks on everyone's face when that truck…"

  
Monroe, North Carolina. May 20, 2002.

Chris stood in the driveway of his house. It was a decent size home with a garage, two bedrooms, and a large back yard with a deck. The rest of the crew, save for Claire, Rebecca, and Barry, were waiting too. "You know guys, you really didn't have to come over and help me." Chris said. "Jill and I could have done this ourselves."

"Claire insisted that we help." Leon said. "She said it would be nice."

"Man, ever since you told us that Jill was moving in with you your sister has been making such a big deal out of it." Carlos said.

Ark leaned against a big tree in the middle of the front yard. "Yeah, on the one hand she's complained about living with you and on the other she's happy Jill's living with you. What's up with that?"

"I guess Claire feels that I should live by myself, as long as she isn't the one living with me." Chris replied. "When are they going to get here? How long does it take to empty out a little apartment?"

Leon patted Chris on the shoulder. "You don't want to know. If Jill's anything like Claire then about seventy-five percent of her stuff will be clothes. Believe me, I know. Whenever I do the laundry I feel like there are more than three people living in my house."

Sherry, Lott, and Lily came running from behind the house. Over the past couple years Sherry and Lott had grown into young adults while Lily had become a teenager. "Hey Chris," Sherry said, "Is there anything to drink?"

"There's some ice tea in the refrigerator." Chris replied. "You know where the cups are."

"Thanks." Sherry said. The children ran into the house.

"So how are the kids adjusting to a somewhat normal life?" Chris asked.

"Good enough." Ark said. "In a few weeks Lott and his sister should be starting summer school. They each are behind a grade."

Leon scratched his head. "My parents hired a tutor for Sherry while she was staying with them. She sure was thrilled when she found out that this was all over."

"At least they can go back to a normal life like all the other teens their age." Carlos said.

"And how about you Carlos?" Ark asked. "How's normal life as opposed to the life of a mercenary?"

Carlos chuckled. "Dull and boring and I love it. I don't have to worry about getting killed or nothing. Only thing I have to worry about are bills and taxes."

"Tell me about it." Leon said. "I've had enough action to last the rest of my life. All I want to do know is settle down with Claire and live like normal people. In fact, Claire, Sherry, and I have become quite a close family. I'm surprised how quickly we managed to recover."

"It's nice not to have to look over your shoulder worrying if someone is following you." Ark said. "I know that both the kids and I are glad this is over. Last couple of weeks we've spent just getting into the swing of things."

"I bet all of us are ready for a ordinary life." Chris said. Just then Barry's van pulled up next to the curb. "It's about time." Chris said. He walked over to the van, but only saw Barry and Rebecca get out. "Where are the others?"

"They're coming." Barry said. "I hope you boys are ready to work."

"Why's that?" Ark asked. His question was answered as a big U-Haul truck approached the house and backed into the driveway.

Carlos gawked at the truck. "How much stuff is she moving in?"

Leon nudged Chris. "I think you need a bigger house."

Chris watched as the truck came to a halt. "I think you may be right." 

The engine of the truck cut and Jill and Claire got out. Jill walked over to the group. "Hey guys, sorry we took so long." She unlocked the latch and opened the back door. About half the truck was packed with boxes.

"About how many boxes are there?" Chris asked.

"Not that many." Jill replied. "Most of them are clothes."

"Told you." Leon said.

"Are you sure you didn't clean out the whole apartment?" Carlos asked. "This is going to be a lot of work."

Claire hopped into the back of the truck. "Try carting this stuff down three sets of stairs." She grabbed one of the boxes and handed it to Jill. "I didn't have this much stuff when I moved out."

"Sure you didn't." Leon said sarcastically, stepping up to the truck.

Claire glared at him and handed him a heavy box. "Shut up and get to work."

Chris walked up to the truck and took a box from his sister. "All right, here's what we'll do. Jill, Leon, Ark, Rebecca, and myself will cart this stuff inside. The rest of you get the stuff out of the truck." Chris walked over to the front door. "Hey, come out her and give us a hand."

The kids emerged from the house and ran over to the truck. Lott stared at the mass of boxes. "Whoa, that's a lot of stuff."

"Quit your gawking and get to work." Claire ordered. She gave Ark and Rebecca boxes and then began to slide other boxes towards the edge. "We have a lot to do."

Chris rested the edge of the box on his one knee as he opened his bedroom door with his free hand. He entered and set the box down on his bed. Jill brought in her box and set it down next to the other. "I guess you and Becky should start unpacking. Problem is I don't think I'll have enough space in this room."

"Then where am I going to put all my stuff?" Jill asked.

Chris thought for a moment. "I have an idea. We can keep all your stuff in Claire's old room."

Jill clasped her hands together and sighed happily. "My own changing room. I'm going to love living with you."

"Whatever." Chris said, grabbing one of the boxes. He walked out into the hall. "Listen up guys, we're putting everything in the other bedroom."

"OK." Leon said. "This must be it." He set down his box and opened the door that was to his right.

"That's not it." Chris said.

Leon's jaw dropped when he saw the interior of the room. Against the back wall sat a computer with a printer, scanner, speakers, and huge monitor. On a shelf against the left wall was a stereo system with a pair of massive speakers. Across the room against the right wall was a hutch with a 36" TV. On top of the hutch sat a VCR and a DVD player. At each end sat a speaker. On either side of the hutch on the floor sat two more speakers. A sub-woofer sat on one of the shelves in the hutch. DVDs and videotapes sat on the other shelves. Next to the door were two shelves filled with books, printer paper, CDs, and other stuff. Two floor fans sat on either side of the computer desk. Scattered on the floor in front of the hutch were a Playstation 2, N64, Dreamcast, X Box, and a Gamecube.

"What's all this stuff doing here?" Leon asked.

Ark looked over Leon's shoulder. "Damn, nice hardware."

"Let me see." Rebecca said. She pushed Leon over and saw all the stuff. She turned to Chris. "Where did you get all the money to get all this stuff?"

"One, this is my entertainment room." Chris replied. "Second, I used the reward money I got from the government to buy half of this stuff. The other stuff I already had like the computer. Also I got a nice job that pays well. Now if you guys don't mind we have to get back to work." He opened the door across from his room and entered the spare bedroom. The others followed, looking back at the other room before entering. Leon and Ark set their boxes down and ran from the room. Rebecca and Jill got to work unpacking the boxes.

As Chris turned to leave Jill grabbed his arm. "I'm definitely going to love living here."

"Maybe tonight we'll watch a movie." Chris said. He left the room and looked around for the other two men. He heard talking coming from the entertainment room. He popped his head in the door to see Leon and Ark checking the room out. "Are you two ready to get back to work?"

"Man, I got to come over here more often." Leon said.

"I'll give you the tour later." Chris said. "Now can we please get the rest of Jill's stuff in the house?" 

"In a minute." Ark replied. "I want to see what movies you have."

Chris leaned against the doorframe. "Don't make me get my sister."

The two men looked at each other and quickly left the room. If anything Claire could get very pushy when there was something to do. Chris smiled to himself and left the room.

Barry handed Carlos a box. "I think she did clean out her whole apartment." Barry said.

"Why do I feel like we're going to find some furniture in there?" Carlos said, setting down the box next to a pile of other boxes.

Claire glared at the house. "Where the hell are the others? They better not be slacking off."

"Patience Claire." Barry said. "They're probably trying to find some place to put everything."

"Well they better hurry up." Claire said. She saw the guys exit the house. "Where are Jill and Becky?"

Chris pointed to the second floor. "They're unpacking. I think they could use some help. They're in your old room."

Leon and Ark ran up to Carlos. "You have to check out the sweet setup Chris has upstairs." Leon said. "It's like walking into the electronics section of a department store."

"I believe you're referring to Chris' playroom." Claire said. "I swear, when I was still living here he used to lock himself in that room for hours."

"Let's just finish this." Chris said. "Claire, go give the girls a hand."

Claire nodded and jumped out of the truck. "Come on Sherry, let's go."

"Ark, you stay down here with the other guys and continue unloading the truck." Chris said. "Leon and I can take the stuff in ourselves."

Everyone present agreed and got back to work. After two hours all the stuff was off the truck. From there the guys carried the stuff inside while the women continued to unpack. After several hours and a couple of breaks, which ended with both Chris and Claire chasing the other out of Chris' entertainment room, the job was done. Claire offered to take the truck back and soon left with Leon following her in his car. The others soon left, leaving Chris and Jill with a couple dozen of unpacked boxes scattered over the house.

Jill was laying in a deck chair, recovering from all the activity. Chris came out onto the deck and sat down next to her. "Well, all my stuff is here. Too bad we still have some unpacking to do."

"We can deal with it tomorrow." Chris said. "Right now I just want to relax."

"Yeah." Jill said. "Between you carrying all those boxes and keeping everyone out of the other room you must be exhausted."

Chris rubbed his eyes and groaned. "Why do I have the feeling that we're going to have constant company from now on."

Jill giggled. "I'm sure playing with your stuff won't be the only reason our friends come to visit."

Chris gave her a blank look. "I bet it will." Chris took a deep breath. "Well, what do you feel like doing for your first night here?"

"Well, I was thinking about going out to eat and then coming back and watching a few movies." Jill said. "And after that we can retire to our room."

"I like the way you think." Chris said. He moved next to Jill and got on his knees before giving her a kiss. "We better get ready." Chris stood up as Jill got out of the chair. Together they walked into their house.

Chris groaned as he opened his eyes as the morning light shone through the window. He looked around to find himself alone. The faint sound of running water from down the hall told him what he knew. "Jill must have gotten back from her morning jog." He said to himself. He rolled over and closed his eyes. He was about to drift back to sleep when the sound of Limp Bizkit's Rollin blared throughout the house. Chris bolted up breathing rapidly from shock. After regaining his nerves he got out of bed and put on a pair of boxers. He followed the noise to the bathroom. He looked in through the open door and almost laughed at what he saw. 

Jill was wrapped in a red towel and drying her hair with a blowdryer. Behind her on the top of the toilet was a small stereo blasting the music. Jill moved to the beat as she sung along with the chorus. "Keep rollin, rollin, rollin, yeah! Keep rollin, rollin, rollin, woo!"

"NICE SINGING." Chris shouted over the music.

Jill spun around and quickly turned off the stereo. "I'm sorry Chris." Jill said, blushing from embarrassment. "I forgot that I wasn't in my apartment."

"What the hell was that?" Chris asked. "You always do this when you take a shower?" 

"It's kind of a habit I have." Jill replied. "I always listen to music when I get out of the shower."

"Limp Bizkit?" Chris asked.

"Yeah." Jill said. "Usually I listen to rock music. I'm not really into all that pop stuff."

Chris chuckled. "Neither am I. I almost had a heart attack when you turned that music on. I didn't know what was going on."

"Sorry." Jill said. "I won't do it again."

Chris waved his hand. "You don't have to. Just turn the volume down next time?"

Jill watched Chris leave before turning back to the mirror. "Congratulations Jill, first morning here and already you've freaked him out." She said to her reflection. "I just wonder if he has any strange habits of his own."

Jill descended the stairs to the smell of something cooking and the sound of music coming from the kitchen. As she entered she found Chris in front of the stove cracking some eggs into a medium sized bowl. Coffee was brewing in a coffee maker on the counter. On the island in the center of the kitchen sat a small stereo softly playing Creed's Higher. Jill watched as Chris flipped two pancakes. "I didn't know you cooked." She said.

Chris turned and smiled. "What did you think, that I lived on takeout and TV dinners?"

"Yeah." Jill replied.

"I bet everyone else thinks so too." Chris said. "Well, what do you want? Pancakes or French toast?"

"Uh, pancakes." Jill replied. She walked over to the coffee maker and poured some coffee into a cup she got from the cupboard. "I'm really sorry for what happened earlier."

"You don't have to keep apologizing." Chris said. The song ended and Chris shut off the stereo. "It's just that when people usually sing on the bathroom, it's usually when they're in the shower."

Jill sat down and took a sip of coffee. "It's a force of habit. I guess when you live alone for so long you don't notice all the weird stuff you do."

Chris flipped the pancakes and place two sausage links onto a plate and set it down in front of Jill. "I think that's one reason why Claire wanted to move out. I've been on my own for so long that I wasn't used to having someone else in the same house. I used to do things that freaked Claire out. Sometimes I forgot Claire even lived here."

"She must have found that assuming." Jill said. She took a bite of her pancakes. "This is really good. How did you learn to cook like this?"

"Years of practice." Chris replied, dipping some bread into the eggs and flopping them onto a frying pan. "In fact I got a job as a cook for the Damon's near here. My boss told me I'm one of their best cooks. That reminds me, I have to be at work at four. Looks like I won't be here to help you finish unpacking."

"Don't worry." Jill said. "I can finish myself." Jill took another sip of her coffee. "How long do you think it'll take for us to get used to living together?"

"I don't know." Chris replied. "But I hope it won't take long."

  
Present.

"It didn't take that long, did it?" Jill asked.

Chris nodded. "After a week it was like we were living together for years. Even Claire was surprised."

Jill laughed. "I still remember how Claire reacted when I told her how I got used to all your habits. However, there was only one habit that I didn't like."

"Oh yeah, my smoking." Chris said. "You gave me hell for that."

"I should have." Jill said. "It was bad for your health."

"And I remember how you tried to get me to quit." Chris said.

"And I finally did." Jill said.

Author's Comments: Another chapter complete. Seems that Jill moving in was an adventure in itself. And due to several experiences with people moving I know how much of a job it can be to unpack a moving truck. Well, we know where Chris and Jill have taken up permanent residence. We also found out how some of the team has adjusted to life after Umbrella. Finally, we found out about Jill's little habit and Chris' little talent. All in all a nice little chapter.

Speaking of habits, in the next chapter Jill tackles one of Chris' worst habit. And in Claire and Leon to throw in their two cents and things will get hairy. That's in the next installment of Story Of Us: Chapter 9- Smoking Habits.


	9. Smoking Habits

            Disclaimer: Resident Evil is property of Capcom. This story is my property.

            Side Notes: This story takes place several years after Umbrella's fall. Dates in reference to the RE timeline are guessed on. Background information for main characters is a cross between the games and the S. D. Perry novels.

Story Of Us 

By: Striker

Chapter 9- Smoking Habits.

Present.

"It sure was hard to get me to quit." Chris said. "You used to give me hell. I thought you were going to toss me out of the home."

"I was." Jill replied. "The place smelled like the waiting room of the RDP. I always knew when you were smoking cause I would start to gag as soon I breathed in the smoke."

"Claire didn't seem to mind." Chris said.

Jill gave Chris a black look. "She didn't have to live with you." 

"I still remember when you just decided to make me stop smoking." Chris said. "You just woke up and started throwing away all my cigarettes."

"I was planning on doing that for a while." Jill said. "And you didn't make it any easier. I still couldn't believe how many packs you had hidden."

Chris chuckled. "I had to hide them. You threw away any pack you saw."

"I must have gotten rid of ten packs that day." Jill said.

"It wasn't ten." Chris corrected. "It was more like four. And two of those were half empty."

"I know how many packs I threw in the trash." Jill said. "All I remember is waking up and smelling something burning…"

  
Monroe, North Carolina. August 25, 2002.

Jill slowly opened her eyes. A gentle breeze blew in through the open window. She turned to her side to find Chris gone. She then glanced at the clock. It was a little after ten. Jill had worked the late shift at Damon's the pervious night. She had immediately fallen asleep when she had gotten home sometime after midnight. She closed her eyes and began to drift back to sleep. Suddenly the smell of something burning found its way to her nose. Her eyes shot open and she quickly sat up. "What could be burning?" She asked herself. She inhaled again, taking another whiff of the order. She recognized the smell. Her eyes narrowed as she growled a single word. "Chris."

Chris checked his reflection in the medicine cabinet mirror. "Damn." He had done a good enough job of shaving. He had only nicked himself in one spot. What he was upset about was the shaving cream he had gotten on the collar of his dark blue polo shirt. He was currently wearing that, a pair of jeans, and a pair of brown loafer. "No one will notice." He said. He took a drag from his cigarette and opened the cabinet and put back his razor and shaving cream. When he closed the cabinet she saw Jill standing in the door dressed in a green top and tan shorts glaring at him. He turned to his girlfriend. "Hey honey. I was wondering when you were going to get up."

Jill continued her icy stare. "I thought you said that you would quit?"

Chris looked at the cigarette in his hand. "Uh, I did? I mean I must have forgotten. I was just about to put it out."

"Let me help you." Jill snatched the cigarette from Chris and dropped it into the toilet. "Time to put this where it belongs." She said as she flushed the toilet.

Chris watched the cigarette disappear in the swirling water. "I can't believe you did that."

"Believe it." Jill replied.

"You're not going to kill me, are you?" Chris asked sheepishly.

Jill grinned. "Just seeing you squirm is good enough. I can't believe that you tried to smoke behind my back. How many do you have left?"

"That was the last one." Chris said. "I was savoring my last experience, until you flushed the thing."

Jill didn't quite trust him. "Are you sure?"

"What's the big deal with me smoking?" Chris asked. "It's not as if I'm a chain smoker. I only have a cigarette every once and a while."

"It matter's to me." Jill said. "Your lungs must be all black with tar by now."

"Remind me never to buy anymore of those heath magazines any more." Chris said.

Jill sighed. "Chris, I really don't like you smoking. I thought something was on fire this morning. I want you to stop. Can you do that, for me?" Jill gave him a puppy-dog look.

Chris hated it when she gave him that look. He could never say no to anything she asked him to do. "OK, I will."

"Thanks." Jill said, beaming.

"Kiss me." Chris said, moving in. He backed her up next to the toilet.

Jill put up her hands in defense. "Oh no, I'm not kissing you."

"Why not?" Chris asked amusingly.

"Cause I don't want to feel like I'm kissing an ashtray." Jill replied. "Now back off. Your breath stinks."

"Fine." Chris hung his head in defeat. "Well, at least I got these." He quickly opened the cabinet next to Jill's head and retrieved a pack of cigarettes. "See ya."

"HEY!" Jill tried to grab Chris, but he took off before she could react. "Now I'm going to kill him."

"GIVE ME THOSE CIGARETTES!" Jill yelled as she chased Chris down the stairs.

Chris cleared the last four steps in a leap and tore into the kitchen. "Over my dead body."

"I can arrange that." Jill replied, stalking in after him. "Hand them over and I'll make it quick."

"If you're going to kill him do it outside." Jill turned to see Leon sitting at the kitchen table, Claire and Sherry sitting next to him. "I don't feel like testifying in court."

Claire took a sip of coffee. "Now you know why I moved out. I used to find butts everywhere."

"I wasn't that bad." Chris said, holding the pack out of Jill's reach.

"When did they come over?" Jill asked.

Sherry looked up from a magazine she was reading. "We got here a half hour ago before Chris went upstairs to have a cigarette before you woke up. He told us not to tell you."

Chris turned to Sherry. "You traitor."

Jill saw the opportunity and snatched the pack from Chris' hand. "Ha, now I got it."

"Nice one." Leon said.

"What can I say, I used to be a thief." Jill replied. Now she was the one keeping the cigarettes Chris.

"Give them back." Chris said.

"You want them, come and get them." Jill took the pack and stuffed it down her shirt.

Chris' face lit up." If you insist."

Leon grinned at Jill. "Congratulations, you just gave the man an added incentive to get them back."

Claire smacked Leon on the arm. "Jesus, there's a young girl here."

"Come on Claire, I'm seventeen." Sherry said. "And it's not like I haven't seen you and Leon's little antics."

Claire's jaw almost hit the floor. "What did you say?"

"Looks like she has you there." Jill said. "Well Chris, how bad do you want you cigarettes?"

"As much as I'd like to try and get them back from you, it'll be too much trouble." Chris replied. "I'll get another pack."

"Good luck." Jill said. "I searched this whole room and found none."

Chris chuckled as he walked over to the refrigerator and opened the freezer. He pulled out a small item wrapped in tin foil.

"You hid them in the freezer?" Leon asked.

Chris unwrapped the pack. "Yep. Last place she'd look. Besides, the cold keeps them nice and fresh."

Jill stood in shock. "How many damn packs do you have hidden in this house?"

"Enough." Chris replied.

Jill threw up here hands. "That's it, I'm moving out." She then stormed out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

Chris looked at Leon and then back at Jill. "I think she's pissed."

"I'd say." Leon said. "Good luck talking your way out of this one."

Chris ran after Jill, leaving Claire, Leon, and Sherry alone. After a few seconds Claire turned to Sherry. "So what exactly did you see?"

Chris entered Jill's closet room to find her stuffing some clothes into a suitcase. "You're not really leaving, are you?"

"What does it look like?" Jill replied, not bothering to look at him.

"Just because of a couple of cigarettes?" Chris asked. "That's hardly any reason to leave."

Jill spun around, a scowl on her face. "You said that you would quit. I begged you to stop and you still keep smoking. Do you have any idea how much I hate that? For the first few weeks I tried to ignore it. Then I thought if I asked you politely you would stop. I thought you would get the message after I started throwing away the packs. I guess you didn't. And now after you promised that you would stop you tried to smoke behind my back. And another thing, you don't smoke once and a while anymore. For the last two years it's been more and more. I want you to stop, and if moving out is the only way to get the point across then so be it."

Chris hung his head and sat down on the bed. "It's not like I haven't tried. I've tried to quit several times. Every time I just couldn't. It's not that easy for me." Chris took the pack of cigarettes he had and threw it into the garbage can. "Who am I kidding, I'll never be able to quit."

Jill stopped packing and sat down next to him. "I think I know what you mean. It took me a while to get over stealing. I can't tell you how many times I thought of taking something from a store. Fortunately Dick and Barry were there to get me through it. Hey, if you did try to quit, why didn't you ask for help?"

"If it's one thing my family's known for is not asking for help." Chris said. "Guess I didn't want to admit that I had a problem."

"Then I'll help you." Jill said. "We'll get through this problem of yours together."

"Does this mean you're not leaving?" Chris asked.

Jill took the pack she had and threw it into the garbage. "Yes."

Jill looked through the shelf of the drugstore. "Here we go." She said, handing Chris a box. "These patches should help you." She read the back of one of the boxes. "Will control your cravings and diminish your needs for nicotine. Use these for a couple of weeks and you'll be fine."

"I hope so." Chris said, looking over the box. "This stuff better work like they say it does."

"I'm sure these patches work just fine." Jill said. "Besides, you'll have me to make sure you don't slip up." She and Chris walked up to the counter to pay for the stuff.

The clerk looked at the boxes. "Ah, see you two are trying to quit."

"I am, she's not." Chris said.

"Well I here that these patches work wonders." The clerk said. "Had a friend you quit using these. That will be twenty-one thirty-five."

Jill paid for the stuff and took the bag. "Thank you."

"Good luck buddy." The clerk said. "I hope you kick this habit."

"So do I." Chris replied.

  
Present.

"It took a few weeks, but you did manage to stop smoking." Jill said.

"I remember that first week." Chris said. "I was in a lousy mood. I wanted a smoke so badly. Everyone stayed away from me because of my mood."

"By the third week you were off the patch and just fine." Jill said. I was so proud of you."

"So was Claire." Chris added. "She even wanted to throw a party. I'm glad she didn't."

"And then there was your little speech." Jill said.

"Oh yeah." Chris said. "That speech."

  
Monroe, North Carolina. September 24, 2002.

Chris threw the last box of patches into the garbage can. He sat down at the kitchen table and smiled to himself. It had been three weeks since he started on the patches. Now he didn't need them anymore. He smiled as Jill entered the room. "Well, I'm over my problem."

"I'm proud of you Chris." Jill said. "You beat your habit."

"There's only one thing." Chris said.

"What is it?" Jill asked.

Chris got up and wrapped his arms around Jill. "Since I don't smoke anymore I'll have to find another addiction."

"And what do you have in mind?" Jill asked.

"Come upstairs and you'll find out." Chris replied. They kissed and quickly ran upstairs.

  
Present.

"It's been almost two years since I've had a cigarette." Chris said. "You know what, I don't miss it one bit."

"You're also in better shape." Jill added. "And the house doesn't smell like an ashtray anymore."

"Guess my other addiction won out." Chris said.

"And what would that be?" Jill asked.

Chris just smiled. "You."

Author's Comments: I know, the ending is a little sappy, but then again most romance stories had some sappy parts in them. Anyway, Chris kicked his bad habit, with a little help from Jill of coarse. All it took was a little patch and a big argument to do it. Oh, and about the cigarettes in the freezer. It seems that cigarettes do keep in cold places. I've seen it. Now on with the next chapter.

In the next chapter we reach a major milestone in Chris and Jill's relationship. A certain question has been floating around in Chris' head, one that will change his life and Jill's forever. Find out what it is and how Jill will answer in Story Of Us: Chapter 10- Commitment.


	10. Commitment

            Disclaimer: Resident Evil is property of Capcom. This story is my property.

            Side Notes: This story takes place several years after Umbrella's fall. Dates in reference to the RE timeline are guessed on. Background information for main characters is a cross between the games and the S. D. Perry novels.

Story Of Us 

By: Striker

Chapter 10- Commitment

Present.

Jill looked down at her ring played with it a bit. "Remember the day you asked me that very important question?"

Chris chuckled as he played with his napkin. "Do I ever. I was so nervous that day. I thought I was going to mess up."

"You did have an audience." Jill said. "Really, I was expecting you to ask me when we were alone or at a fancy restaurant. I never expected you to ask at a picnic."

"I just had to." Chris replied. "I came to a decision and decided to ask you right then and there. Besides, I was killing two birds with one stone. If you said yes then we wouldn't have to bother telling the others. Plus I didn't expect them to listen in."

"And how did you come to this decision?" Jill asked.

Chris picked at his food. "I talked to Barry. I thought I'd go to someone with experience in doing that kind of thing. We just arrived at his house and…"

  
Concord, North Carolina. April 16, 2003.

Three rapid knocks came from the front door of Barry's house. "I'm coming." Barry said. He opened the door. "I wondered when you two would get here."

"Sorry Barry." Chris said. "Jill couldn't decide on what to wear."

Jill smacked Chris in the arm. "I'm not the one who forgot where he put his keys."

Barry chuckled. He found it hard to believe that these two people were solders in some horrible war. Now they looked like ordinary people. "You two look great." Chris had on a white Nike shirt, gray shorts, and his brown jacket. Jill had on her blue tube top, cargo pants, and her light brown jacket. 

"So do you." Chris replied. "But I thought plaid went out of style a long time ago?"

"Yeah, you still look like a lumberjack." Jill added.

Barry looked at his getup. He had on a red plaid shirt and a pair of jeans with a tear in the left knee. "Well I like it. It's what I'm comfortable wearing."

"So are you ready to go?" Jill asked. "If we don't get to the park soon the natives will get restless and do something really bad."

"Hi guys." Kathy said, walking over to the front door. "We've been waiting for you." Kathy looked attractive as usual. She had on a yellow short-sleeve shirt and slacks. "Moira, Polly, come say hello to our guests."

Moira and Polly came running from upstairs. The girls had grown into young teens and had begun to dress like ones too. Moira had on a green cut-off shirt, tan shorts, and sandals. Polly had on a black halter-top and a dress with flowers on it. Polly had her long, red hair pulled into a French braid while Moira kept her light brown hair short, like her mother. "Hi Chris. Hi Jill." Moira said.

"You two are looking like beautiful young ladies." Jill said.

"We know." Polly said.

"Don't tell me you two are going out like that?" Barry asked.

Moira nodded. "Mom said we could."

Barry turned to Kathy. "I do not want my daughters walking around dressed like that."

"It could be worse." Chris said. "They could be wearing short shirts and those very small tops."

"Chris is right dad." Polly said. "This is what all the girls are wearing these days."

"Thank you Chris." Barry said. "Girls, why don't you help your mother take the food out to the car?"

Moira and Polly nodded and ran towards the kitchen.

"Why don't I help you?" Jill offered.

"That would be great." Kathy said. "We'll get all the light stuff and leave the heavy things for the men."

Barry watched Kathy and Jill disappear into the kitchen before turning back to his old friend. "If I need any advice about raising my children, I'll ask."

"So how are you guys doing? "Chris asked. "You seem to be adjusting nicely to this town." Barry and his family had recently moved to Concord so they could be near their friends. It was a far cry from Richmond where they had previously lived.

"We're doing fine." Barry replied. "The girls have gotten used to their new school and have made a lot of friends."

"Speaking of which," Chris said, "I imagine that pretty soon they'll be dating boys."

Barry hung his head. "They already are. I'd rather face an army of Tyrants than deal with my little girls boyfriends."

Chris scratched his head. "Hey Barry, can I talk to you in private for a minute?"

"Sure." Barry said. "We can talk in the study." Barry led Chris into the study. A bookshelf lined one wall while a gun rack was set against another wall. "What is it?"

"Something that's been on my mind." Chris replied. "How long were you and Kathy going out before you, you know, popped the question?"

Barry thought for a minute. "Well, we dated throughout college and we lived together for about two and a half years before I proposed. Why are you asking me?"

"I better show you." Chris dug a small box out of his inside jacket pocket. He opened it up and showed Barry a diamond ring. "Take a look at this."

Barry held up his hands. "As much as I'd like to marry you I think Kathy would have a problem with that."

Chris wasn't amused with Barry's comment. "I'm not going to justify that with a response. It's for Jill. I've been thinking about asking her to marry me for a while now. I'm just wondering if it's too soon."

"Do you want to marry her?" Barry asked.

Chris nodded. "I do."

"Do you believe she'll say yes?" Barry asked.

"I don't know what she'll say." Chris replied. "I think so."

Barry slapped Chris on the back. "Then do it. You won't know unless you ask. And if she says that it's too early, then you can wait some more. From what I see, I bet she'll say yes. All you have to do is show her that ring."

"You know what, I will." Chris said. "As soon as we get to the park I'll ask her. Thanks Barry."

"Any time." Barry replied. "Now come on, the women are probably wondering where we are."

Chris stuffed the ring back in his jacket. "Hey Barry, were you nervous when you proposed to Kathy?"

"Are you kidding, I almost lost it." Barry said.

Kathy was waiting for the guys at the front door. "What were you two doing? We have most of the stuff loaded. Get the other things so we can go."

"Sure thing honey." Barry said.

Chris followed, but was stopped by Jill. "What were you talking about?"

Chris avoided looking into her eyes. "I'll tell you later. I have some stuff to take out."

Jill watched Chris quickly walk into the kitchen. "Now what was that about?" Jill asked Kathy.

"I don't know." Kathy replied. "Half the time I don't understand what men do at all."

It was the afternoon before Chris, Jill, Barry, Kathy, and the girls arrived at the park in Charlotte. The rest of the crew was gathered near a grove of trees. Claire, Rebecca, Sherry, and Lily were sitting on the ground watching the men playing with a football and talking about the stuff women talk about. Claire had on her usual biker gear, black top, brown shorts, and red jacket, with her hair pulled into the usual ponytail. Sherry had on the same things, except she wore a dark blue shirt. Rebecca had on a light purple shirt and faded jeans. Her favorite red bandana was tied around her head, pushing her light brown hair back. Lily was dressed in a red shirt with gray vest and jean shorts.

The guys were near the women, throwing around a football. Leon had on some torn jeans and a Metallica T-shirt on. Carlos was wearing him combat trousers and a light brown T-shirt. Ark was clad in a patterned short-sleeve shirt and gray shorts. Lott had on jean shorts, a blue and green striped shirt, and black cap.

"Go long." Leon said. He rocketed the ball down the field.

Ark ran after the ball, tying to get under it. The ball smacked the hood of Barry's station wagon as he pulled in. Ark stopped short and pointed back at Leon. "It was him."

Barry got out and glared at Leon. "Just remember pal, you bust my windshield you're buying me a new one."

"Nice going you idiot." Claire said.

Chris pulled up next to Barry and stopped his car. He got out and began to walk over to the others. "Sorry we're late. We had a few problems."

"We just got here ourselves." Rebecca chimed.

"Yeah," Leon said, "we would have been here sooner but Claire and Sherry spent two hours picking out clothes just to end up wearing what they usually do."

"So where's the food?" Carlos asked.

Barry shook his head. "No hello, just where's the food." Barry walked to the back of the station wagon and opened up the rear hatch. He looked over at the group. "Just don't stand there, help me out."

Kathy turned to her daughters. "Come on girls, let's go help your dad."

The group began to unpack all the food from Barry's car. Soon after setting up they began to eat. 

Chris gently nudged Jill. "Can I talk to you for a moment, in private?"

"Sure." Jill replied. The couple got up and walked to the other side of the trees.

"I wonder what Chris wants to talk to Jill about?" Claire asked.

"Don't be nosey." Barry said. "I'm sure it's something personal."

Claire jumped to her feet. "Then it has to be good."

The others soon followed suit, moving just close enough to hear what was going to be said. Barry hung his head a sighed. "Great, just what he needs, a cheering section."

"What do you mean by that?" Kathy asked.

"Chris is going to propose to Jill." Barry said. "The man was nervous enough, and the last thing he needs are people watching."

"What do you want?" Jill asked.

Chris looked at the ground and stuck his hands in his pockets. "We've been together for at least five years. During that time we've been through a lot together. I believe that meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me. So I want to know if…" Chris took the ring out of his jacket and held it up to Jill. "If you would marry me?"

Jill stood in shock. This was something she never expected. She always wondered if Chris would ever propose to her, but not so soon. "I, uh, I."

Meanwhile, the others were hidden behind the trees listening. "Come on Jill," Claire said quietly, "say yes."

"I sure hope she doesn't turn him down." Ark said.

"Yeah, Chris may go and hang himself." Rebecca said.

Chris watched Jill's face. "Well?" Right now his stomach was in knots. He found it hard to breath and his knees felt like they were going to buckle.

Jill found it hard to breath too. She tried to speak, but her voice had left her. She closed her eyes and steadied her nerves. She opened her eyes and gave her answer. "Yes, I will."

A chorus of cheers came from behind the trees. Chris looked over to see his friends celebrating. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to know you two are getting hitched." Carlos replied.

"We have to start planning for your wedding." Claire said. "We have to set a date."

"Then we got to have a bachelor party." Ark said.

Jill shook her head. "Oh no you're not." Jill took the ring and slid it on her finger.

"Looks good on you." Rebecca said.

"Thanks." Jill said. She turned to Chris and gave him a passionate kiss. "This is one of the happiest days in my life."

"Me too." Chris said. "Me too."

The group headed back to the picnic, excitedly talking about the wedding day. Leon grabbed Chris by the shoulder. "You know what man, once you say "I do", you're life is officially over."

"It may be." Chris said. "But right now I don't care."

  
Present.

"We must have talked about the wedding for hours." Jill said. "By the end of the day we had it all planned out."

"I know." Chris said. "I thought it would take at least a week to work out the details."

Jill smiled slyly at Chris. "So what would you have done if I said no?"

"One, I knew you would say yes." Chris replied. "And two, I would have waited another year."

"Well, at least I said yes." Jill said.

Author's Comments: How was that? After a little talk with Barry, Chris finally had the courage to ask Jill to marry him. Of coarse, we found out what the reactions from the others were. We also found out a little about what Barry's family has been doing. All in all, a nice little chapter.

Chris has popped the question and Jill has accepted. Now you know what comes next. BACHELOR PARTY! Not quite, but close. Second guess, THE WEDDING! Witness the spectacle in Story Of US: Chapter 11- Perfect Day.


	11. Perfect Day

            Disclaimer: Resident Evil is property of Capcom. This story is my property.

            Side Notes: This story takes place several years after Umbrella's fall. Dates in reference to the RE timeline are guessed on. Background information for main characters is a cross between the games and the S. D. Perry novels.

Story Of Us 

By: Striker

Chapter 11- Perfect Day

Present.

"Our wedding day was the best day of my life." Jill sighed. "It was so perfect."

"It must have taken them days to decorate the church." Chris added.

"I'm glad you managed to get my father out of prison for the day." Jill said.

Chris smiled. "I figured that he should be there. I had to go through a lot of trouble to get him released for the day."

"And I appreciated that very much." Jill stared out the window, her smile getting bigger. "I was so nervous when I was getting ready. It didn't help having all my friends trying to coach me."

"I didn't have an easier time." Chris said. "Leon and the other guys were just as bad. And the sister didn't help any. I honestly thought I was going to forget what to say."

"At least we got through it." Jill said.

Chris nodded. "And like you said, it was perfect."

  
Monroe, North Carolina. August 14, 2003.

It was eleven in the morning. The birds chirped happily outside the church, adding to the pleasant atmosphere. Jill stared nervously into the full–sized mirror as Kathy and Rebecca finished adjusting her dress. She took a deep breath as she flexed her hands. "Are you two done yet? I'm beginning to feel like a mannequin."

Kathy stepped back and admired her handiwork. "You look just as beautiful as I did when I got married."

"There." Rebecca stood back next to Kathy. "That dress looks great on you. I can't wait till I get married."

"So are you and Carlos going to get married?" Kathy asked.

"Someday." Rebecca replied, staring dreamingly at the ceiling.

Jill looked herself over. The dress was a traditional white dress, complete with the lace and frills. She had on long white gloves that ran up to her elbows and white high-heel shoes covered in glitter. Her hair was tied up in an elaborate brand that ran around her head. Her makeup had been applied several hours beforehand. She had put on the right amount of lipstick, blush, mascara, and eye shadow. All in all she looked perfect.

"Are you going to stare at yourself all day?" Jill turned to see Claire smirking at her. "If you ask me you're way too tense." Claire, as well as the other women in the room, was dressed in light blue bridesmaid dresses. Claire was the Maid of Honor for the main reason that it was her brother's wedding.

"You'll feel the same way when it's your wedding." Jill replied.

Claire chuckled. "Loosen up Jill, it'll all be over before you know it. Besides, I don't know how but Chris got your dad out of the pen just for today. That should help you calm down a little."

Jill smiled. "I'm sure it will. I just want this to go smoothly. I've read a lot of horror stories about what has happened at weddings."

"Half those stories aren't true." Claire said.

"I know." Jill said. "I'm just so nervous."

"Don't worry Jill." Sherry said. "You'll be OK."

"Yeah," Polly added, "you look great."

Moira nodded in agreement. "You look just like mom in her wedding pictures."

"Thanks guys." Jill said. ""I'm glad I have friends like you."

Lily smiled mischievously. "Wait until you see what we're going to throw at you on the way out of the church."

"I hope it's not rice." Jill said.

"So do I." Rebecca said, a look of horror on her face. "If you do when the birds eat the rice it'll expand in their stomachs and the birds will explode."

"No, Claire corrected, giving Rebecca a weird look. "We won't be throwing rice because we don't want anyone to slip and break their necks. We have something much better."

Jill shuddered at the thought of what it could be. Suddenly a man entered the room. When Jill saw who it was her face lit up. "DAD!"

"We better leave." Kathy said. "We have to get the men and take our places." The women hurryingly left the room, leaving Jill and her father alone.

Jill gave her father a hug. "Hi dad, I'm glad you're here."

"You should thank Chris." Dick said. "He's the one who got me here. I'm also glad that you're not calling my by my first name anymore."

"You'll have to thank Chris for that too." Jill said.

Dick looked over his daughter. "You look just like your mother. Dania you have been proud of you."

"I wish she was here." Jill said. "I miss her so much."

"I'm sure she's looking down from heaven right now." Dick replied. "I'm glad you finally found someone. I was beginning to wonder if my little girl would ever get married."

Jill looked at her father. Dick looked great for a man in his late forties, early fifties. His hair was beginning to gray but aside from that he looked to be in great shape. "I see time in prison hasn't worn you down."

Dick laughed. "You'd be surprised what kind of exercise program they have there. Well, we better get set. The ceremony should be starting soon." Together, father and daughter prepared for the walk down the aisle.

Meanwhile Chris was in another room, pulling on his collar. "Man, I feel like I'm choking."

"You know that thing is designed to shrink the more you tug at it." Leon said.

Chris turned to his sister's boyfriend. "Don't start with me now."

"Settle down children." Barry said. He, like all the other men, was in a tuxedo. Chris had made Barry the best man, even though Claire suggested strongly that it should be Leon. Chris did explain why he wanted Barry to be the best man, seeing as how if Barry had never gotten him to join S.T.A.R.S. that he would never have met Jill. After a lengthy argument, Chris won out. "So how do you feel?" Barry asked.

"Like I'm going to pass out." Chris replied.

"Don't worry." Carlos said. "All you have to do is say two little words when you're asked to speak. I do."

Ark walked over and patted Chris on the back. "It's not like you're going to forget them?"

Chris turned to Ark. "I'm afraid I will."

"I knew we should have given the boy some tranquilizers." Leon said.

"I don't think that would help." Chris said.

"You'll do fine." Lott said. "At least, that's what Ark told me to say."

Ark chuckled in embarrassment. "It's funny what kids say, huh?"

Barry turned to Chris. "Just try to relax. I felt the same way when I married Kathy. The day will be over before you know it."

"Man, I can't wait to see what Jill's going to look like." Chris said. "She must be beautiful."

"She is." Claire said, barging in.

"Hey, this is the men's room." Leon said. "No women allowed."

"Maybe she's the stripper?" Ark jokingly asked. The three glares her got from Chris, Claire, and Leon made him freeze. "Forget I said anything."

Carlos walked over to Ark and slapped him on the back. "Good call. Anyway, I'm wondering what Becky's going to look like."

"I can't wait to see Sherry." Lott blurted out. "Oops."

Leon chuckled. "Looks like someone has a little crush."

"I wouldn't call it little." Ark said. "I'd say it's big."

Claire cleared her throat and got everyone's attention. "As much as I'd love to sit here and chat we have a wedding to take care of. Everyone else is waiting. Let's go."

Leon saluted Claire. "Sir, yes Sir."

The group began to file out of the room. Barry and Chris were the last to leave.

"You ready?" Barry asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Chris replied. "I just wish my parents were here to see this."

"They're probably watching from heaven right now, as are our other friends." Barry said. "I'm sure they're all watching."

The church was decorated from top to bottom. Big, white bows were set on every pew. The alter was surrounded by roses, tulips, and other flowers. Colored banners hung from the ceiling and colorful decorations were hung on the wall. The church was packed with family and friends, most of which were involved in fighting Umbrella. Chris stood at the right side of the alter trying to suppress the panic. The men were behind him and the women were at the other end of the alter. Chris took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

"Hang in there champ." Leon said. "Only three more rounds to go."

Chris smiled at Leon's comment and looked over at his sister. She smiled at him and winked. Chris nodded back and turned towards the rear doors. Soon the familiar brides music started. All attention turned to the back of the church as Jill and her father walked down the aisle Chris was taken back by how lovely Jill looked in her dress. Through her veil he could tell that she was smiling. He saw that Dick was smiling too, proud of his daughter. Suddenly all of Chris' worries vanished as he watched Jill approach him.

Jill felt like the happiest woman alive as she neared the alter. Her heart was pounding with excitement. In a few minutes she would be Chris' wife and they would be bound together forever. All her fears and doubts disappeared as she got closer to the alter. She was oblivious to the others looking at her. All she focused on was Chris.

Soon Chris and Jill were standing face to face. They went through the ring part of the ceremony, and then the priest began to recite the vows to the couple, starting with Chris. However, both Chris and Jill were lost in each other's gaze, only half-listening. When the priest finished Chris said, "I do." The priest then began to recite the vows for Jill. Jill also said "I do." 

"If there is anyone here that has reason for these two to not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace." Finally the moment that both of them were waiting for came. "I now pronounce you man and wife." The priest said. "You may kiss the bride."

Chris lifted the veil and stared into Jill's eyes. Jill did the same, beaming as Chris let go of the veil and let it fall behind her head. They then kissed each other to the applauds from all present. The exit precession then began, with the bride and groom at the front. Claire and Leon followed, closely followed by Barry and Kathy, Carlos and Rebecca, Sherry and Lott, Ark and Moira, and finally Dick and Polly. As soon as Chris and Jill exited the front door a couple of dozen people were lined up.

"HIT IT!" One of the people yelled. Suddenly the crowd fired silly string into the air. The precession was covered by a wall of foam.

Chris turned back to his sister. "Silly string?"

"Hey, it's better than rice." Claire replied.

Chris and Jill bolted for the waiting limo and hopped in. "See you at the reception." Jill called as she closed the door. The limo took off, the words "JUST MARRIED" written on the rear windshield.

Claire shoveled in the last piece of her cake. "God that was good. I think I'll have another piece."

"Didn't you read the sign?" Leon asked. "Limit one per customer."

"They have several cakes." Claire replied. "Besides, I don't think Chris would mind. Right?"

Chris gave his sister a sly smirk. "Sorry sis, you should have made that piece last." He and his friends were gathered around a large table in the corner of the reception hall. Everyone was present, except for Carlos and Rebecca, who were dancing. Lott and Sherry were also dancing together, as Moira and Polly with some other boys.

"How can you eat so much and eat so fast?" Leon asked. "Sometimes I feel like I'm dating a garbage disposal."

"Two words, high metabolism." Claire replied.

"Two words, hog troth." Ark said. "How many trips did you make to the buffet table again?"

Leon held up eight fingers. "At least eight. Even Barry didn't eat that much."

"Well excuse me." Claire said.

Barry chuckled. "I can't wait to see you two get married."

"You two will probably drive each other crazy." Kathy added.

"We already do." Leon replied.

"So how does it feel like to be Mr. And Mrs. Redfield?" Ark asked.

Jill smiled. "Just great. Too bad we had to wait this long."

"I'm just glad my daughter found the right man." Dick said. "And I'm grad I was able to be at my daughter's wedding."

Jill turned to Chris. "So just how did you get my father out of prison?"

Chris scratched the side of his face. "Well, during our visits I got to be friends with one of the wardens. I basically asked if Dick could be released for his little girls wedding. After about a half hour we made a deal. Dick could attend our wedding if he promised to return after it was over. And if he ran, I would be held responsible and take his place."

Jill turned from her husband to her father. "Good thing you didn't run."

"I didn't want you two to have to spend your honeymoon on opposite sides of a piece of glass." Dick said. "Besides, three more years and I'm a free man."

"They reduced your sentence?" Jill asked.

Dick nodded. Good behavior."

"Well there's some good news." Barry said.

"Hey, you two better get ready if you're going to make your flight." Claire said. "It leaves at four. You have an hour to get to the airport."

"Where to?" Chris asked.

"We all chipped in and got you a four day vacation to the Bahamas." Ark said. "Thought it would be the perfect place for a honeymoon."

"Thanks guys." Chris said. He turned to Jill. "We better get going."

Jill nodded and got up. "Oh dad, how are you going to get back to prison?"

"I need to be at the airport in Charlotte by ten." Dick replied.

Barry waved his hand. "Don't worry, I'll get him there."

"Thanks." Jill said. With that, Chris and Jill left the reception to leave for the airport.

It was seven-thirty by the time the newlyweds got to their hotel. The sun was beginning to set into the ocean as clouds began to cover the sky. Chris opened the door to their room scoped up Jill. He carried her into the room and set her down on the bed, giving her a kiss. "I'll get the luggage."

Jill smiled and looked at her ring. Finally she was married at twenty-eight to a man she had been with for six years. "Finally." She whispered to herself. She got up off the bed and looked around the room. The honeymoon suite was huge, with a large bed with red sheets. A sliding glass door opened out onto a private deck with hot tube. A large bathroom had everything, including a whirlpool in the corner. She stared out the window at the beach. She heard Chris lug in the final suitcase. "This is beautiful." Jill said.

"Not as beautiful as you." Chris said. She gently kissed her and looked outside. "Well, what do you want to do?"

"I was thinking about a romantic walk along the beach and then coming back here." Jill replied.

Chris turned to Jill and smiled. "I like your thinking." He turned back to the beach and noticed how dark the sky was getting. "It's getting dark out. I wonder why?"

His question was answered by the steady sound of rain falling outside. It started slowly at first, but increased in speed until it was pouring.

"You got to be kidding me." Jill said. "It's raining."

Chris sighed. "Looks like do romantic walk."

"What are we going to do now?" Jill asked.

"Well," Chris started, "this is our honeymoon." He wrapped his arms around Jill. "And this is our wedding night. I'm sure we can find something to do."

Jill smiled as she wrapped her arms around Chris. "I suppose we can."

The newlyweds began to kiss as the rain continued to fall outside.

  
Present.

"It rained the entire time we were there." Jill said.

"It did finally stop raining the last day we were there." Chris corrected. "And we made good use of it."

"We didn't let the other days go to waste either." Jill said. "I still remember splashing around in the hot tube in the rain. The other people must have thought we were crazy."

"The other guys did say it would be the perfect trip." Chris said. "They were right."

"That whole day was perfect." Jill said. "Standing at the alter with you is something I'll remember for the rest of my life. I couldn't have asked for anything more special than that."

"And that's one thing no one can ever take away from us." Chris said.

Author's Comments: Ah, how beautiful. Despite some initial jitters Chris and Jill got through their wedding with no problems. Also, it may have rained during their honeymoon, but that didn't stop the two from having a good time. And what about the others comments before the wedding ceremony? I guess the advice helped a little. And finally Jill's dad was able to attend his daughter's wedding. It wouldn't be a proper wedding without family. Too bad Chris' parents weren't alive to see this, but they were there in spirit. A few things, I've only been to one wedding in my whole life, so I may have gotten the procedure mixed up. Second, the story about the birds and rice is an urban legend that I read about in a book.

In the final chapter of this story it's a special time for Chris and Jill. Chris has something planned and it's going to be great. Find out what it is and what the special occasion is in Story of Us: Chapter 12- Special Anniversary.


	12. Special Anniversary

            Disclaimer: Resident Evil is property of Capcom. This story is my property.

            Side Notes: This story takes place several years after Umbrella's fall. Dates in reference to the RE timeline are guessed on. Background information for main characters is a cross between the games and the S. D. Perry novels.

Story of Us 

By: Striker

Chapter 12- Special Anniversary

Present.

            "Remember that little surprise I had for you?" Chris asked, a grin on his face.

"How could I forget?" Jill replied. "It was only a few months ago. You were acting weird most of the week. I thought something was wrong with you."

Chris chuckled. "Claire noticed too. She tried to get me to tell her what was up. I had to tell her to butt out several times."

"And why did you do that?" Jill asked.

"Cause if I told her, she would tell Leon, Leon would tell Ark, and for on and so forth until you found out." Chris explained. "After all the planning I did I didn't what anything to ruin the surprise."

Jill closed her eyes and smiled. "I sure was surprised." She opened her eyes and smiled warmly at Chris. "I never thought you would remember that day."

"Who could I?" Chris said. "It was one of the best days of my life."

Monroe, North Carolina. June 18, 2004.

Chris sat at the kitchen table flipping through a magazine. He kept looking up every few minutes to look at the clock. "Pretty soon." He muttered to himself, seeing that the time was six thirty. Suddenly the front door opened and Claire entered the house. "You know doorbells were invented for a reason. Have you ever thought of learning to use one?" Claire's habit of letting herself in annoyed Chris very much.

"Come on Chris." Claire replied. "I'm your sister. It's not like I'm some stranger. Besides, I would care if you did the same thing in my house."

"I highly doubt it." Chris flatly replied. "Why are you here anyway?"

Claire sat down at the table and rested her head on her arms. "I had nothing better to do so I decided to visit you."

"What do you mean nothing to do?" Chris asked.

"Well." Claire began. "Sherry went to the mall with Lott and Lily. Leon went to play poker with some of the guys from the police department. That left me all alone so I figured that I would hang out here with my brother and sister-in-law." Claire looked around the room. "Speaking of which, where is Jill?"

"She's down stairs doing some laundry." Chris replied. He looked at the clock again. "You know Claire, tonight really isn't a good night."

"Why?" Claire slyly asked.

Chris looked back at his sister. "Let's just say that I have plans for tonight."

Claire edged closer to her brother. "This wouldn't have something to do with the way you've been acting for the past few days, would it?"

Chris stared at his sister. "So that's the real reason you came over here. Thought you could get me to talk. Nice try."

Claire put on a pleading face. "Come on Chris; tell me what you're going to do. I won't tell anyone."

"That's what you said last time." Chris said. "Then you went and told Becky that Carlos, Barry, Jill and I were getting her that convertible for her birthday. You ruined the whole thing."

"I didn't expect Rebecca to walk in while I was telling Sherry." Claire protested. "I didn't even know Becky was there."

"And I expected you NOT to tell anyone." Chris remarked. "Faced it Claire, you cannot keep a secret. For all I know I'll tell you everything and then you'll blurt it out as soon as Jill walks in the room."

Claire placed her hand over her heart. "I promise that I would tell Jill anything."

Chris smirked at Claire. "Nice try."

Claire hung her head in defeat. "Can't blame me for not trying."

"Not trying what?" Chris and Claire looked over to the door to the dining room to see Jill standing in the doorway.

"Uh." Claire saw the half glare her brother was giving her. "I was just trying to…"

"Get some money from me." Chris finished. "She wants to buy a new bike helmet."

Claire nodded. "Yeah. I, uh, want to get a new helmet. My other one is so old. Chris told me to use my own money."

"Well I'm sure we can give her a few bucks." Jill said.

"I'm sure Claire can save up enough money on her own." Chris protested. "Besides, my sister was leaving anyway."

"I was?" Claire replied. She suddenly got the hint and got up. "Yeah, I was leaving. There's a show on TV tonight I want to see."

Jill watched Claire leave the kitchen before taking off after her. "Hey Claire." Jill said, stopping Claire at the door. "What was that all about?"

Claire turned to Jill. "I guess Chris is just mad at the fact that I'm always bumming him for cash."

"If you ask me, Chris has been acting strange for the last two days." Jill said. "Do you have any idea what's going on with your brother?"

"Not a clue." Claire sharply replied. "Well, I better get going."

Claire started to leave but Jill grabbed her arm. "Hey, wait a minute." Jill glanced back towards the kitchen before drawing a twenty from her pocket and handing it to Claire. "Here's a little money for that helmet. Just keep this between you and me."

"Thanks." Claire took the money and left the house.

Jill watched Claire zoom off on her bike before walking back into the kitchen. "Why did you just kick Claire out of the house?"

"I didn't kick Claire out." Chris replied. "She had to leave."

"Seriously Chris, what's going on?" Jill asked. "The whole week you've been preoccupied about something. What are you trying to hide from me?"

Chris shot up from the table and quickly walked over to Jill. "Nothing honey. You know that I would never do a thing like that."

Jill placed her hands on her hips. "That's exactly the kind of thing that someone hiding something would say."

Chris sighed. "OK Jill, if you have to know I have plans for us tonight and I needed Claire to leave."

"And what kind of plans do you have?" Jill asked, her curiosity aroused.

"It's a surprise." Chris replied. "Just be ready to leave in a half hour. We're going out tonight."

"Where are we going?" Jill asked.

"That's part of the surprise." Chris said. "Just dress casual, you don't have to wear anything fancy where we're going."

Jill watched Chris leave the room and head for the stairs. "What do you have planned Chris Redfield?" She said to herself.

Jill stared at her reflection while combing her hair. She had on a dark blue skirt and a purple short-sleeved shirt. In her head her mind was working, trying to figure out what her husband was up to. For the last few days he had been acting like he was distracted, like he was looking forward to something. Whenever she had questioned him, he always told her it was nothing. The way he had chased his sister out of the house had confirmed that something was going on. Now with the little trip they were taking Jill's mind raced with ideas of what Chris was scheming. Finishing up she left the bathroom and descended the stairs. Chris was sitting on the couch waiting. He turned towards Jill and smiled. He was dressed in blue jeans and a white T-shirt. 

"Ready to go?" Chris asked.

"Yeah." Jill replied. "Where are we going anyway?"

Chris got up and led Jill to the door. "You'll see when we get there." The couple got into their car and drove off. After a twenty minute drive Chris pulled over to the side of the road. "OK Jill, put this on." He pulled a blindfold from his pocket and presented it to Jill.

Jill looked at the blindfold, then at Chris. "No."

"Come on Jill." Chris said.

"Give me one good reason." Jill replied.

"It's part of the surprise." Chris said.

"I'm still not putting it on." Jill said. "There's no way that I'm going to put on a blindfold while we're out here in the middle of nowhere. Who knows what you're thinking."

"Trust me Jill; it'll only be for a few minutes." Chris said. "I promise that I won't do anything funny, and if I do you can kick my ass."

Jill sighed and took the blindfold. "Fine, I'll go along. But if I hear you take out a pair of handcuffs you'll be sorry."

Chris waited until Jill donned the blindfold before driving on. After ten minutes Chris reached his destination and brought the car to a stop. "Wait here." He said before getting out.

Jill heard Chris open the trunk and remove some things. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat as she waited for Chris to return. She then heard her husband take some more stuff from the trunk before slamming it shut. After a while she heard Chris return and open her door.

"Come on Jill." Chris said. "Time for your surprise."

Jill felt Chris take her arm and help her out of the car. "This better be good."

"Don't worry." Chris assured her. "You'll love it."

After a few minutes the couple stopped. Jill could hear water close by and a slight breeze blew her hair. "Are we here?" She asked.

"Yep." Chris replied. "Get ready Jill?"

Chris pulled the blindfold off of Jill's head. As her eyes readjusted to the light she saw that they were at a lake. On the small beach in front of them a blanket was spread out with two plates, a pair of grasses, some candles, a CD player, a small grill, and a large basket. The sun was low in the sky, casting a romantic light over the whole scene. Jill was at a loss for words at what she saw. "This, this is amazing. Is this what you were planning?"

"Yes this is." Chris said, wrapping his arm around Jill's waist. "Thought I'd put this all together for this special occasion."

"And that occasion be?" Jill asked.

Chris took a deep breath and led his wife to the blanket. "This date is a very special date for us. Just seven years ago something happened that was very important. It's been seven years to the day that we first met each other. I thought that it would be nice to do something celebrate this little anniversary."

Jill couldn't help but smile. "I can't believe you remembered all these years."

"How could I?" Chris asked. "It's not every day you meet an angel."

"Oh Chris, that's so sweet." Jill said. She wrapped her arms around Chris' neck and gave him a warm kiss that lasted for a while.

When they broke the kiss Chris gestured towards the food. "Let's saw we have dinner now."

Jill nodded and sat down. As Chris took out the food and poured some wine into the glasses Jill stared lovingly at him. "This is so romantic. It's just like one of those scenes out of a romance movie."

"That's just how I planned it." Chris said, warming some chicken on the grill. "Nothing like dinner for two on the beach to commemorate a special event."

"I can't wait to tell everyone about this." Jill said. "I doubt that they'll believe me. You're not exactly the kind of person who's known to do this kind of thing. They'll probably say it was one of Barry's ideas."

"We should have brought a camera." Chris said. He turned on the CD player. Soft music began to flow from the device and sweep around the beach.

"You sure do know how to set the mood." Jill said, taking a sip of wine. "Anything else you have in store for me?"

Chris placed some chicken on one of the plates and handed it to Jill. "You'll just have to wait and see."

Chris and Jill began to eat their dinner. As the sun set lower into the horizon Chris carefully lit the candles. After a while Jill looked off across the lake. "I can believe that it's been seven years. With all that we've been through it doesn't seem like we've been together for that long."

"Tell me about it." Chris added. "It seems like yesterday we started our lives over after beating Umbrella. Time sure goes by quickly."

"I'm kind of hoping that night never ends." Jill said. "It's so perfect."

Chris switched CDs in the player and pressed play. Soft dance music filled the air. He then stood up and extended his hand. "Care to dance?"

Jill took Chris' hand and rose from the blanket. "Why certainly." The young couple began to slow dance across the sand as the sun continued to set even lower. "Things can't get any more romantic than this." Jill said, her head resting on Chris' shoulder.

"Oh I think it can." Chris replied. He pointed out to the sun. "Take a look at that."

Jill looked out to the horizon. The reddish sun was just beginning to slip below the far mountains. Chris and Jill watched as the sun disappeared from sight and twilight began to move in. "Now I wish that this night doesn't end."

"So do I Jill.' Chris said. "So do I." With that, the couple began to kiss in the moonlight.

Present.

"That whole night was so perfect." Jill said. "I don't remember how long we stayed at that beach."

"All I remember was forgetting to bring a flashlight." Chris said. "I had to drive the car down to the beach just to pack up."

Jill giggled at the memory. "It was funny. One moment we were dancing, and the next you were kicking yourself for forgetting the flashlight."

"That was so embarrassing." Chris said. "You'd think with all the other stuff I worked out that I would remember something as simple as that."

"Well I didn't mind at all." Jill said. "No one's perfect."

Chris nodded and looked at his ring. "We sure had a wonderful relationship, haven't we?"

Jill smiled and looked at her own ring. "We sure have been through a lot together. No matter how hard things got, we always could rely on each other to get through it."

"And I'm sure we'll continue to do that for a long time." Chris added. "We have a great life with each other."

"And it can only get better for here." Jill said.

Chris reached out and took Jill's hand. "It sure will. Happy anniversary Jill."

"Happy anniversary." Jill replied.

Author's comments: BAM! I'm back. After a few months away I'm back and ready to play. I've meant to continue this story sooner but several things got in the way. With winter break, loss of access to half-decent internet connection, computer problems, and general life I haven't been able to find time to write. However I have made my return from my short hiatus and am ready to write some more stories. If there is one good thing that has come from my break in writing it's that I've been able to generate ideas for new stories and rethink other stories that I plan to write. Anyway, enough of me. Time to get back to the story.

          Well, like all good things this story has come to an end. Who ever would have thought of Chris as the romantic? Guess everyone has a soft side. In these twelve short chapters we've seen the high points and the low points of Chris and Jill's relationship. From where they go from here it's anyone's guess, but from what Jill said things can only get better. I hope you enjoyed this story and I plan on writing more romantic fics in the future. Thanks to all of you who have read this and for all the comments you gave. See ya.                                                                   Striker

Upcoming stories: Next in the works is the first story in a new series I'm writing. The names Harbinger and it is the first part in the War Games series. The survivors are back and ready to take down Umbrella in this action/adventure/drama fic. However, another group is also after Umbrella. It's double trouble as our heroes have to battle two separate enemies. Also I have several short stories I plan to write sometime soon, as well as the sequel to Cause Be the Carrier.

Pervious stuff: Here are some other stories I have done. A little action, a little romance, and a little comedy. Read them for yourself.

1. If My Heart Had Wings.

2. Mall Madness.

3. Resident Evil- Armageddon:

1. Part I Prelude to Destruction 

2. Part II Hands Of Fate 

3. Part III Gaining Strength 

4. Part IV Unexpected Alliance 

5. Part V Countdown to Doomsday 

6. Part VI Armageddon 

4. Life's A Beach.

5. Judgment Day.

6. Cause Be the Carrier.


End file.
